FG begs NLC... moves to avert showdown

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PAGE 2—SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY 15, 2016

Duro Oyekanle @ 70th A thanksgiving prayer to mark Mr. Duro Oyekanle's 70th birthday was held in Abuja. Photos by Gbemiga Olamikan

From left: Mr Biodun Onibonoje, Mr Sam Eniola-Balogun, Mr Duro Oyekanle and Elder Ayo Akadiri

From left: Mallam Bashiru Tukur , Mr Tunder Okynrinboye and Mrs Agnes Olugbami

From right: Mr Taiwo Ayedun, Mrs Bimpe Ayedun, Mrs Oluwayemisi Oyekanle, Mr Duro Oyekanle, Mr Peter Ayedun and Mrs. Jameelah Ayedun

From left: Mrs Oluwayemisi Oyekanle , Mrs Titilola Ayo Yusuf and the wife of Good Tidings Church Pastor, Mrs Bolu Olutayo C M Y K

SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY 15, 2016 — PAGE 3

AS WORKERS INSIST ON SHOWDOWN

FG begs NLC •Moves to avert strike •Labour asks Nigerians to stockpile food, threatens to shut down economy •Let’s endure – Ngige

By Victor Ahiuma-Young & Johnbosco Agbakwuru

O

RGANISED labour, yesterday, insisted it would shut down the economy from Wednesday, May 18, should the Federal Government fail to revert the pump price of petrol to the pre-May 11 price of N86.50, among other demands, by midnight of Tuesday, May 17.

The declaration was made on a day indications emerged that government was disposed to amicable settlement of the price hike impasse with labour.

In the meantime, the umbrella body for private sector employers in the country, Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association, NECA, has faulted the plan by labour to go on strike, urging the private sector employees to ignore the strike directive and go about their normal businesses.

Also, the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, faction led by Mr. Joe Ajaero, said it would be meeting with market women and other informal sector workers and civil society groups on how to force the Federal Government to meet its demands.

At a joint National Executive Council, NEC, meeting in Abuja, Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC, and the NLC faction, led by Ayuba Wabba, threatened that once the strike commenced, all financial institutions, airports, seaports and private schools, companies and others would be shut. They urged Nigerians to stockpile food and other essential needs to last them during the duration of the strike.

In a communique at the end of the NEC meeting, the Wabba-led faction of the NLC and the TUC leader, Bobboi Kaigama, argued that the price hike from N86:50 to N145, representing 67.63% increase, was the height of insensitivity and impunity as there were no consultations with stakeholders, especially the organised labour, “or any justification for this reckless decision other than the fact that government believes it is accountable to no one.”

The two labour leaders said the meeting debated extensively the implications of

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government’s unilateral increase in the prices of petroleum products, noting government’s disinclination for consultation on issues of public interest and its obsession with protecting product marketers at the expense of the public.

“During the electioneering campaign last year, the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Muhammadu Buhari, had promised that, if elected, he would not remove fuel subsidy if there was any at all.

After his election, President Muhammadu Buhari had maintained that there was no subsidy in the petroleum product price regime and that, even if there was, he did not see how its removal would be beneficial to the ordinary Nigerian, noting that the slightest product price adjustment often leads to inflationary spiral and unimaginable suffering for the people,”they said.

The labour leaders went on: January 18, 2016, the government further allayed the fears of the Nigerian people by reducing the pump price of PMS to N86:50, explaining that the reduction was in furtherance of the implementation of the revised component of the Petroleum Products Pricing for PMS and kerosene. The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr Ibe Kachikwu, had been speaking from both sides of his mouth. Whereas last year, he had strongly canvassed for the removal of ‘subsidy ’ in defiance of President Buhari, about a month ago, he claimed the subsidy had been removed through his ingenuity and that Nigeria was saving $1billion from this process. Organized labour wonders what has informed government’s sudden and dangerous policy summersault and its desperate attempt to convince the public that labour was part of the decision that led to this price increase.

“In view of the fact that the board of the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA), which is statutorily vested with powers to recommend prices, has not been reconstituted, the price variation announced by any officer of the agency or outside the agency is not only ultra

vires and illegal, it is a criminal imposition on the citizenry. The price hike from N86:50 to N145, representing 67.63% increase, is the height of insensitivity and impunity as there was no previous consultation with stake holders, especially the organized labour, or any justification for this reckless decision other than the fact that government believes it is accountable to no one.

“The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources declared that marketers will have to source their dollars from the secondary market.

The attendant pressure on the dollar will lead to unimaginable rise in prices of commodities and other services, thus creating further hardship for the people. Due to the volatility of the black market, organized labour doubts that government would be able to maintain PMS pump price at N145 per litre were the hike acceptable or justifiable. At the time the PMS pump price was fixed at N145, the exchange rate at the black market was N320 to the Naira.

“Between Wednesday and today (Saturday) when the new pump price was announced, the Naira has further crashed against the dollar, first to N340 on Thursday, then N365 on Friday morning and N385 by close of business on Friday, all in 48 hours. At this rate, we believe it will not take long before the Naira becomes entirely useless against the dollar. It is thus morally and economically suicidal to have tied the importation of products to the secondary market exchange rate.

“In view of the fact that in the past five years, there has been no increase in salaries or wages or pensions in the face of devaluations, spiralling inflation and other vagaries of the economy, this product price increase is unrealistic, unaffordable, unacceptable and is thus rejected. Government is unable to justify this price increase other than the puerile explanation that marketers need to recover their costs, without a thought for the aggregate or larger national interest including the need for local refining and creation of jobs.

To avert anything that could paralyse the economy, the organised labour advised government to “revert to the old price regime in order to reduce the suffering of the people and to consider this singular act of mindless pump price increase as a betrayal of trust. Revert to the pre-45 percent electricity tariff increase, make meters available to consumers and stop estimated billing.

Reconstitute the boards of PPPRA and NNPC without further delay and give them their statutory right to function alongside DPR in order to deepen the process of consultation, checks and balances in the downstream sector of the petroleum industry.

“Intensify the prosecution

From left: TUC President, Comrade Bobboi Kaigama; NLC President, Comrade Ayuba Waba; Deputy President of NLC, Comrade Peter Adeyemi, and a former ASUU President , Comrade Dipo Fashina, addressing journalists after an emergency meeting on the hike in the price of petrol, yesterday.

Photo by Gbemiga Olamikan. of all those involved in subsidy scams with a view to recovery and sanctioning of the culpable. Put in place enhanced local refining capacity within a specified period in place of endless importation as an enduring solution to the perennial problem of scarcity. Reverse the entire deregulation and privatization process which foists on the nation, private individuals as drivers of the economy in contravention of the constitutional provision that says government shall be the driver of the economy and engage the organised labour in the process of negotiation on key policy issues; uphold its electioneering promises to Nigerians instead of subjecting them to the vagaries of slavish policies such as full devaluation of the naira and total removal of subsidy as enunciated by the IMF and its agents in the system.”

They however warned that if the government became adamant to adhere to the above advise, before 12 midnight on Tuesday, May17, 2016, the Nigeria Labour Congress, the Trade Union Congress and their civil society allies would mobilize to the streets across the country, ordinary and helpless Nigerians to whom they owe the duty of protection.

Other actions that would be taken by the labour they enumerated include the shut down of all banks, sea and airports, government and private offices as well as markets and indefinite nationwide strike action.

NECA faults strike

Plea for understanding

There were indications, yesterday, that government was disposed to engaging the organised labour to avert the labour strike.

Multiple sources in Abuja told Sunday Vanguard that the Federal Government was counting on the understanding of labour to resolve all issues relating to the fuel price hike.

“We have been meeting with the labour unions in our bid to carry them along on this matter. But government is ready to engage them further to ensure that we are on the same page in the interest of the nation”, one of the sources said.

“The Minister of State for

Petroleum, Dr Ike Kachikwu, had been meeting with the labour unions. NLC, TUC, PENGASSAN and NUPENG were all involved in the meeting that had in attendance the Minister and the National Assembly leadership. You will notice that NUPENG and PENGASSAN have supported the move by government to hike the price of petrol.

“The only objection I believed NLC raised was on the composition of the Board of the PPPRA. And government told them that work would be done on that. I have not yet checked the status of that. Beyond that, that was no other issue.

“Now, the more important part is that the petroleum minister has been meeting with them even before last Wednesday meeting.

“The minister is confident because he has been talking with them. Government had understanding of the NUPENG and PENGASSAN. It is now NLC and TUC that have refused to do so.

Let’s endure – Ngige

Also, yesterday, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, told Nigerians to endure the hike in the price of petrol, saying it would help to revive the economy.

The Minister explained that the government action was influenced by the need to reposition the economy into a productive one.

Speaking when he paid a visit to the South East regional office of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund, NSITF, in Enugu, he explained that Nigeria was passing through painful structural reforms necessary for rebirth.

“The Federal Government is not unaware of the hard times Nigerians are passing through as a result of the re-structuring of the economy. The President is genuinely concerned and personally feels the pains too.

But this is a necessary phase we must all endure for the restoration of better days,” Ngige said.

Also speaking to Sunday Vanguard, yesterday, member of House of Representatives representing Mangu/Bokkos Federal Constituency, Plateau State, described the petrol price hike as ill-timed. He said, “We are all aware that the

APC government promised that if elected, it will make N1 equal to one dollar. But today, what do we have? It is N340 to N350 to a dollar and you are removing subsidy.

Meanwhile, NECA has expressed support for government’s deregulation of the downstream sector of the oil and gas industry, saying “the policy is a crucial first step in the resolution of the perennial dependence of Nigeria on imported petroleum products.”

Speaking in Lagos, the Director General, Mr Olusegun Oshinowo, praised the Federal Government for the courage it had demonstrated, which past administrations had unwittingly shied away from by embracing a policy option that would jump start significant reform in the downstream sector and impact positively on the economy both in the short and long terms.

Pro-democracy group mobilises

The leadership of the United Action for Democracy, UAD, yesterday, told the Federal Government to reverse its decision to remove petrol subsidy or face the wrath of the people.

In a five-point demand, the National Convener of UAD, Comrade Baba Aye, called for “immediate and unconditional reversal of PMS (petrol) to N86.50; a public audit of the NNPC’s cash flow, involving trade unions, professional associations and civic organisations.”

Other demands by the group included, “nationalisation of the petroleum industry and its democratic management and control by, and for working class-people; an end to the wave of anti-poor people neoliberal policies of privatisation and deregulation as well as putting people before profit; Enactment of a N56,000 national minimum wage Act.” Meantime, Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN, has said it did not support fuel hike but deregulation.

The leadership of the association, the press briefing by the NLC and TUC, in Abuja, debunked the claim that it had supported the hike, saying no decision had been taken on it.

PAGE 4 — SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY 15, 2016

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode (2nd right); Special Adviser to the Governor, Office of Overseas Affairs & Investment (Lagos Global), Prof. Ademola Abass (right); Commissioner for Waterfront Infrastructure Development, Engr. Adebowale Akinsanya (left), Managing Director, Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA), Engr.

Abisola Kamson (2nd left) during the Governor’s inspection of the bad portion of Berlett Bus Stop on Apapa- Oshodi Expressway, Lagos, at the weekend.

The Divisional Head, Human Resources & Strategy of First City Monument Bank (FCMB) Limited, Felicia Obozuwa; a staff of the Bank, Mr. Wale Olabimtan (who was the first staff to cross the finishing line at the 2016 edition of Corporate Challenge) and the Group Head, Corporate Communications & Brand Management, Mr. Diran Olojo, during the Race Against Cancer organised by the NSE and supported by FCMB. It took place in Lagos yesterday

Her dsmen att ac 2 Herdsmen attac ackk another Benue village, kill 112

By Peter Duru, Makurdi ust when Benue farmers were enjoying some J respite from the activities of

dare-devil Fulani herdsmen in some parts of the state, no fewer than 12 persons were late Friday night reportedly killed by suspect herdsmen at Tarfi village, Binnev Ward, in Buruku local government area. Sunday Vanguard learned that the attack also left so many villagers with varying degrees of injuries while several others were still reported missing and unaccounted for.

According to a source, the armed men stormed the village in their numbers from

neighbouring Tarka Local Government at about 11pm, shooting sporadically and burning down houses and huts in the community.

He said, “there is no doubt that it is this same group of herdsmen that have been terrorizing Tarka and Buruku Local Government Areas in recent times that are responsible for this attack.

“This time they stormed Tarfi village, Binnev Ward, in Buruku late last night at about 11pm, in a commando fashion shooting and killing anything that stood in their way.

“It was a well coordinated attack. They marched through the village burning down houses and huts,

farmland, food barn and any property that belonged to the indigenous people.

“At the moment, the calls we received from home indicated that about 12 persons were killed while many sustained serious injuries and many others still missing and unaccounted for. “As I’m speaking with you, the locals, including women, children and the elderly, have all fled their homes, trekking long distances to seek a safe place to hide, while the intruders have gone into hiding though their cows are still grazing in the village.

When contacted, the Benue Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Assistant Superintendent, ASP, Moses Yamu, who confirmed the

attack, said the Police recorded five deaths in the incident adding that the Command was on top of the situation. Yamu said, “yes I

can confirm the attack on Tarfi village, Binnev Ward, in Buruku Local Government Area of the state by suspected Fulani herdsmen; so far we

have record five deaths, two persons were killed in the village but three others who sustained injuries in the attack died on their way to the hospital.”

Fulani community dispels rumour of attack in Enugu

T

he Fulani community in Enugu State yesterday dispelled the rumour that the Fulani herdsmen were planning an attack on the people of Nze community in Udi Local Government Area of the state, describing it as false and unfounded.

This came as GovernorIfeanyi Ugwuanyi paid an unscheduled visittothecommunityinthewake of the panic created by the said rumour of an impending attack on the people of the area, reassuring them of their safety.

Speaking at the palace of the traditionalrulerofthecommunity, Igwe Udodilim Eze, the secretary oftheFulanicommunityinEnugu State, Bala Ardo, who accompanied the governor to the area with other Fulani leaders, assured the people of the community and Enugu at large that there was no plan to attack the area. He said that the rumor was the handiwork of mischief makers, stressing that if there was any such plan, the leaders would have reported the issue to the appropriate authorities for necessary action.

According to Ardo, “we wish to assure the people of Nze community and Enugu State at large that there is no such plan at all from the Fulani community. We have lived here for 34 years, we have no intention to attack any community in Enugu State. “And should any

Fulani man from any the part of Nigeria plan to do that and we know, we will always do our responsibility of informing the authorities that are concerned”, he said. The governor urged the

people of the community to be law abiding and peaceful, as his administration is doing everything possible to find lasting solution to the menace of the herdsmen in the state.

Senate President’s wife preaches against gender-based violence Wife of Senate President, Mrs Toyin Saraki, has appealed to the Federal Government of Nigeria and international organisations to work together and reduce gender-based violence particularly those of the Internally Displaced people in different camps in the North.

Mrs Saraki is founder and president, Wellbeing Foundation.

While speaking in Washington DC, USA, at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies(CSIS), on the Fundamental Rights of the Displaced Women and Girls in Nigeria, she explained that there is need for the creation of a register of all missing persons nationally, while providing health integrated certifiable identities to displaced persons.

She said this would aid restoration of their constitutional, human and citizenship rights even as she commended the National Emergency Management

Agency, NEMA, in its on-going efforts to ensure food security and safety for all in the camps.

“Gender-based violence has plagued Nigeria and there is a desperate need for Nigerian policymakers and the international community to invest in protecting the women and girls in the camps, and explore assistance for psychosocial counseling of displaced persons; largely situated in the Northeast. Thousands of girls and women have been victims of violence and kidnappings by Boko Haram and they need protection and security.

“As a mother, it pains me to acknowledge that someone else’s daughter is not as safe as mine. I believe in equality and equity for all lives, and I believe that no matter your personal circumstance or location, you should be able to live a safe and secure life. I hope that Nigeria can move forward and improve the status of our women and ensure their safety”, Mrs Toyin Saraki concluded

We won’t spare ef efffor ortt ttoo rescue Chibok girls — Buhari •’Boko Haram, disorganised, now pursuing personal glory’ development, we must redouble

By Omeiza Ajayi our efforts to implement all agreements. The event was resident Muhammadu Buhari has restated the commitment of the federal government in ensuring the safe Simon Ebegbulem rescue of the 219 Chibok school girls who were abducted from former Senate Chief their dormitories in Chibok, Whip, Senator Rowland Borno State, over two years ago.

Buhari spoke on Saturday in Owie, has admonished the Abuja at the 2nd Regional Acting National Chairman of Security Summit which had the Peoples Democratic Party French President, François (PDP), Alhaji Ali Modu Sheriff, not to listen to people he Hollande, in attendance.

“Let me reiterate our firm describedas“palacejesters”and commitment to safely rescue and quittheoffice,which,hesaid,was re-unite the abducted Chibok ceded to the South, on May 21.

Owie, who urged some girls with their families. Our government will not spare any leaders of the party to stop effort to achieve this important brewing crisisinthePDP,warned mission. It is my firm belief that thatunlessthepartyputitshouse this summit would usher in a inorder,itwillbedifficulttodefeat period of improved the ruling APC government in collaboration to address the 2019. “I wish to genuinely urge menace of terrorism in the region. mycolleague,SenatorAliModu Inspired by the promise of Sheriff, not to listen to the palace sustainable peace and jesters around him who are

P

Quit on Ma 1, Owie ttells ells Sherif Mayy 221 Sherifff

A

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equally attended by presidents of Chad, Niger, Benin, Togo, Cameroun, Gabon, Senegal and representatives of the UK and Chinese governments.

encouraging him to sit tight as the National Chairman of our great party, the PDP. He should be a man of integrity and leave officeonthe21stofMay,2016.Having beenasenatoroftheFederalRepublic of Nigeria and a two-time governor, heshouldknowthatthereisnobigdeal inhisbeingNationalChairman.

“He should jettison the idea now and quit because the spirits of the teeming members of the party dead and living will petition the throne of Graceandtheconsequenceswon’tbe good. For the word of God says in Proverbs22VS28,nevermoveanold boundary mark planted by your ancestors. The PDP is built on the principle of zoning. It is now the turn of the North to produce the President and the South to produce Chairman of our party”.

SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY 15, 2016 — PAGE 5

N-DELTA OIL INSTALLATIONS BOMBINGS:

Military captures five suspected Avengers’ militants •Troops raid Oporoza again

By Emma Amaize, Regional Editor, Niger Delta, Egufe Yafugborhi and Perez Brisibe

F

IVE suspected members of the Niger Delta Avengers, NDA, captured by soldiers after the bombing of Chevron Nigeria Limited, CNL, pipeline at Makaraba community, Gbaramatu clan, in Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State, on Friday, have been relocated to the 19th Battalion, Nigerian Army, Koko, Warri North.

Military sources told Sunday Vanguard that the suspects were transferred to the Army facility in the early

hours of yesterday, just as fierce-looking soldiers invaded Oporoza, the traditional headquarters of Gbaramatu Kingdom in search of militants bombing pipelines in the state.

The incursion was the second time security agents were storming Oporoza in five days. The security agencies have instruction from President Muhammadu Buhari to crush the NDA which has claimed responsibility for attacks on oil installations and pipelines bearing petroleum products in recent times in the Niger Delta.

Sunday Vanguard’s efforts to get the spokesperson for the Joint Task Force, Col Isa

BUILDING COLLAPSE:

Ado, to comment on the latest development on the new wave of militancy in the Niger-Delta, yesterday, were unsuccessful, as he did not respond to calls and text messages to his cell phone.

A security source, who spoke to our correspondents on the Friday attack, however, said: “They (suspected Avengers’ militants) were arrested immediately the blast occurred following the cordoning off of the scene of the incident by security operatives stationed to protect oil facilities in the area.

“The suspects were taken into the custody of the army in the area, but are yet to make statements or admit if they are members of the Niger Delta Avengers or otherwise.”

Unlike the previous attacks, which the Avengers claimed responsibility, it did not admit

Registrar/ Chief Executive Officer of Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON), Alhaji Bello Kankarofi (left) and Managing Director/CEO of Lagos State Signage & Advertisement Agency (LASAA), Mr. Mobolaji Sanusi, when the former came on a fact-finding mission to the agency, last week.

it carried out the most recent Makaraba pipeline attack.

How soldiers struck again Sunday Vanguard sources in Oporoza said the military men, numbering about 30,

Seven survivors responding to treatment – Ogun Govt

By Daud Olatunji, Abeokuta

T

HE Ogun State government has said that seven survivors of last Friday’s collapsed Itoku Market Shopping Complex were respondingtotreatment.

The Commissioner for Health, Babatunde Ipaye, stated this on Saturday while conducting journalists round thewardoftheStateHospital, Ijaiye, Abeokuta, where the victimswereadmitted.

Thesurvivorstooktimetotalk to journalists, confirming that they were getting better, as against the pains initially experienced, shortly after the accident.

Those still receiving treatmentinclude:Adewunmi Tolulope(20), Oluwaseun Afolabi(23), Kehinde Akeem(38), Oluwalose Oluga(40); and Afusa Adisa(30), while two others have been discharged.

Speaking further, the commissioner said eight victims were headed for the hospital, but one of them died in transit, while the seven otherssurvived.

AccordingtoIpaye,themost affected of the patients was Afusat Adisa, who had a ruptured bladder, but a successful operation was carried out on her.

The health commissioner, who was accompained by his Informationcounterpart,Dayo Adeneye, and Medical Director of the State Hospital, KayodeOladeinde,saidaside from the two already discharged, four others were billedfordischargeinthenext 24 hours, having found them medicallyfit.

Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, governorship candidate in Ogun state, Nasiru Isiaka, theChairmanoftheUnityParty of Nigeria, UPN, in the state, FunmilayoIrede,aswellasthe Senator representing Ogun Central Senatorial district,

Prince Lanre Tejuoso, expressed sympathies with families and relations of those who died and those who sustained injuries.

WhilebothIsiakaand Irede called for probe of the incident, Senator Tejuoso expressedconfidencethatstate government would do

everything possible to ensure that those trapped in the rubbles of the collapsed building are rescued.

According to Isiaka, “It is with deep pain and heavy heartthatIamcommiserating with the injured, the families of the dead, the good people

By Gbenga Olarinoye, Osogbo

on the 5th of August, 2015, when 120 lucky applicants were selected from a poll of over 3,000 entries, who were screened and trained properly on the requirement of the project, chosen and tutored on how to be an entrepreneur.

The management of the company said the selection process was rigorous, and that in order to deliver on the promise of International Breweries Foundation to the teeming Nigerian youths for them to realise their career dreams and further reduce undergraduate unemployment, the organizers had to create “a boot camp look and feel” where the 120 applicants were housed and drilled.

He said the company was interested in reducing the rate of unemployment, urging other private companies in

of Ogun State and the Government of Ogun State. I pray to the Almighty Allah to replenish the state of health of theinjuredwithquickrecovery and to give the families of the deadonesthefortitudetobear theregrettableloss.”

International Breweries PLC empowers 25 youths with N50m N the spirit of giving back Iacross to the society, 25youths from the South-West geopo-

litical zone of Nigeria, have been empowered with N50 million by the International Breweries PLC Foundation, Ilesha, as grants to commence various businesses and to be self employed.

Chairman, Board of Directors of the Company, Otunba Micheal Daramola, while distributing the cheques to the beneficiaries said the step was part of the company’s corporate and social responsibility towards reducing youth unemployment in the society.

Shedding more light on the project tagged “Kick Start”, Otunba Daramola stated that the project started in Ibadan

the country to follow suit as a means of helping government.

Otunba Daramola assured that the money granted the beneficiaries would be adequately monitored to ensure they expend it judiciously for their various business.

Also speaking at the occasion,Chief Operating Officer of the company, Mr Andrew Ross, said youth employment was growing in uncontrollable proportion which, according to him, was having negative effect on the economy.

The State Governor, Mr Rauf Aregbesola, represented at the occasion by the Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Moshood Adeoti, said the company’s gesture was in line with the policies of the state government.

From left: The new Public Relations Officer, Lagos PDP, Mr Taofeek Gani; a former National Sec of the party, Dr Remi Akintoye; a former Minister of Work, Senator Adeseye Ogunlewe; the new Chairman of Lagos PDP, Hon Moshood Adegoke Salvador, and the outgoing Chairman,Navy Cap Olatunji Shelle, during the Lagos State PDP Congress, at the weekend. Photo by Kehinde Gbadamosi

stormed the riverine community at about 7.30 am, yesterday, in four gunboats and strutted about, evoking suspicions of imminent brutalization in the fatigued villagers.

Last Monday, at about 12.30 am, soldiers visited the community on a similar mission and did not depart until 5.00 am.

A community leader, who narrated the incident, said: “They came at about 7.30 am and left several hours later. It was obvious that they had come to intimidate us because soldiers do not just come to your community in that way for the fun of it.

“But because they were not talking to us, some of the villagers approached them to find out what their mission was and they said they were in search of militants, who bombing pipelines.”

Panic Ijaw leader and Ibibenimowe (Chief Mobilizer) of Gbaramatu Kingdom, Chief Godspower Gbenekama, who confirmed the invasion by soldiers, told Sunday Vanguard on phone: “There was tension as the about 30 military personnel moved into the community marching towards the palace and people thought that should be the right thing to do.

“The Pere (traditional ruler) of Gbaramatu Kingdom, HRM Oboro-Gbaraun II, Aketekpe, Agadaba, already alerted about the invasion, was pleased that they were heading towards his palace, but when he saw that they hesitated to move in, he sent an emissary to them to come so that he would know what was amiss.

“Curiously, the soldiers asked those he sent that they had no reason to see him.

Gbenekama went on: “Gbaramatu people are not Niger Delta Avengers. We have nothing to do with the militant group. This is the second time soldiers are invading our community in five days and causing a lot of fear among the people.

“Oporoza is not the only community in Delta State; they should leave Oporoza and Gbaramatu Kingdom alone. I have read media reports that Niger Delta Avengers membership is spread across

Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, South East, South West and other parts of the country. So, why is the military intimidating the people of Oporoza.

“The people are worried because the military had invaded the community in the past. The memory is still fresh in their minds. They are not militants, but under a similar situation, they bombarded Oporoza.

“As a community, we have no link with Niger Delta Avengers. We do not know them and we do not wish to be part of them, soldiers should leave in peace.”

‘Stay away from Urhobo land’ Meanwhile, the National Leader of Urhobo Nationality Council, UNC, Olorogun Jaro Egbo, asked the NDA to keep away from Urhobo land, saying the ethnic group would not sit down and watch people from other nationalities vandalize national assets on its territory for private reasons.

Egbo stated: “Our position is that we shall not allow our territories to be used as launching pads for criminal elements out to destroy our national assets.

“We advise anybody, who has issues with the security agencies bordering on criminal breach of trust and financial misfeasance, to summon the courage to face the charges, rather than plunging innocent inhabitants of the riverine communities into untold hardship.”

Count us out, NDLF tells Avengers In a related development, Niger Delta Liberation Front, NDLF, a non-operational militant group, founded by the late militant leader, “General” John Togo, yesterday, distanced the cluster from the proposed declaration of Niger Delta and flag-off of Niger Delta currency by the NDA in October 2016.

Spokesperson for the NDLF, “Captain” Mark Anthony, told Sunday Vanguard, yesterday: “We were made to understand the fact that the group is fighting sinister ambition by trying to drag all of us into its fight. We have not discussed Niger Delta Republic in any meeting. How can some few misguided youths deceive Nigerians into dragging us into their failed battle?”

PAGE 6—SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY 15, 2016

We must not surrender to cynicism —Kukah ishop Matthew Hassan Kukah, Catholic Bishop of Sokoto, in this B message of Pentecost, being celebrated

today, asks Nigerians not to surrender to cynicism and self-depreciation in the face of hard and challenging times.

While we celebrate Christmas to mark the birthday of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, the celebration of Pentecost marks the birthday of the Church itself. The celebration comes 50 days after Easter precisely because the event itself occurred in the course of the celebration of the eponymous Jewish feast that occurred 50 days after the Passover. This feast constitutes the life wire of the Church, marked by the memory of the gift of the Holy Spirit which continues to nurture the Church.

When we reflect on the Holy Spirit, we must focus on a few key points. First, the free gift of the Holy Spirit marked the seamless relationship and continuity in the life of the Holy Trinity. Secondly, it was a fulfillment of the promise made by Jesus Christ before His death to His own Apostles.

Thirdly, its presence is the glue and energiser that has held, nourished and sustained the Church together. It is through its inspiration that we can call Jesus Christ, Lord (1 Cor. 12:3) As His mission on earth drew to a close, Jesus reminded His Apostles of the difficulties that lay ahead. If the world hates you, he said to them, just remember that it has hated me first. If you belonged to the world, then the world would love its own…If people persecuted me, they will persecute you too; if they obeyed my teachings, they will obey yours too…Whoever hates me hates my father also. They would not have been guilty of sin if I had not done to them the things that no one else ever did. As it is, they have seen what I did and they hate both me and my father. This however, was bound to happen so that what is written in their Law may come true; They hated me for no reason at all (Jn. 15: 18, 20).

The followers of Jesus had carried this great burden amidst confusion and self doubt about their own future and safety as well as the possibility that all this may have been just a dream. The story of the apostles, beginning with their leader, Peter at the trial of Jesus showed clearly that they had begun to doubt their Master. But, again, Jesus had warned them: I have told you this so that you will not give up your faith. You will be expelled from synagogues and time will come when anyone who kills you will think that by doing this, they are serving God (Jn. 16:1-2). Despite painting this dooms day scenario and gloomy picture of the future that lay ahead, Jesus lets his apostles understand that all this fits into a well written plan by God: I have told you this, so that when the time comes for them to do these things, you will remember that I told you (Jn. 6:4).

A most important point to note about the gift of the Holy Spirit is the timing. Apart from painting the gloomy picture about the future, we must understand that Jesus was coming to the end of His life. Naturally, the Apostles were heart broken and could not understand why Jesus was speaking that way. Recall that earlier on before his denial, Peter had pulled out his sword and cut off the ear of the High Priest’s slave, Malcus, to show how prepared he was to defend His Lord and Master (Jn. 18:10).

Peter had wondered, when others turned their back on Jesus, to whom shall we go, you have the message of eternal life (Jn. 6:68).

Jesus says that the coming of the Holy Spirit is tied to His earthly death and that one has to happen before the other. I am telling you the truth, He said, it is better for you that I go away because if I do not go, the Helper, the Holy Spirit, will not come to you…But if I do go away, I will send Him to you…….I am telling you the truth.

You will cry and weep, but the world will be glad, you will be sad, but your sadness will turn to gladness…..I will see you again and your hearts will be filled with gladness, the kind of gladness that no one can take away from you (Jn. 16: 7, 8, 20, 22).

It is the promise of the Holy Spirit that enabled Jesus to assure His disciples that:

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•Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah I am telling you the truth. Those who believe in me will do what I do, yes, they will do even greater things because I am going to the Father (Jn. 14: 12). So, when we look back as Christians today, what lessons are there for us to learn? Clearly, on this feast of the Holy Spirit, we Christians must ask some really deep questions about our faith and the power of the Holy Spirit. It is understandable that we have become confused by the inaction of a derelict state whose inefficiency has turned it into an accomplice in the violence against its own children. But these times still challenge us to come to terms with the real message of our Lord and Saviour whose message was Love.

Many readers might already be familiar with the many versions of the story of the village chief and the mad man. As it went,

the chief went to the village river to have a bath. While he was in the water, a mad man came by. He saw the chief’s dress and decided to try it on. He had dressed up in the chief’s attire when the chief saw him. He shouted at him to take off the clothes, but the mad man took to his heels. Naked, the chief stepped out of water in pursuit of the mad man. As they ran through the village square, the villagers came out shouting that their chief had gone mad! Big men came and held him but he shouted that he was not mad and that it was a mad man who had stolen his clothes. But the villager did not believe him. The mad man was dressed up and could not be mad. It was their naked chief that had gone mad!

Christians have become confused as to whether their God is too soft to confront a more aggressive god whose disciples are going around murdering other human beings. Sadly, in this state of helplessness, we seem unable and unwilling to look at the suffering face of Jesus Christ. We do not wish to see the cross or understand its message. We are right to be afraid. We also want security in all its forms. However, when we are threatened by fear, we must look back at the Pentecost event.

Yet, it is ironic that it is when the apostles of Jesus were confused and terribly frightened that the Holy Spirit came upon them. An uneducated Peter delivers his first sermon and three thousand people are converted on the first day (Acts 2: 41).

When the people ask what they should do, Peter tells them to repent and turn away from sin (Acts 2: 38).

Our country is relentlessly hemorrhaging from fratricidal blood as violence continues to spread in our land.

Fear, suspicion, anger, bitterness, indignation stalk the land as brother is set against brother. Yet, the Holy Spirit is a unifier. The same spirit that united the diverse tongues in Jerusalem summons us to do the same by letting the Holy Spirit cleanse our land. Let us recall the great gifts of the Holy Spirit as we know them:

Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel, Knowledge, Fortitude, Piety and Fear of the Lord. The times are hard, but Christians must stand apart, true to the virtues and promises of their Lord and Master.

Let us, in this Year of Mercy be people of great hope. Times are hard and challenging but we must stand together. Every night is followed by a new day. Ours has been a tale of too many long nights, but we must not surrender to cynicism and self- deprecation.

We were here as a people before corruption came. We will remain here no matter the weapons of corruption. The war against corruption will be won first in our hearts before we achieve national victory. It is time for critical and honest self- examination. Let each of us give an account of our personal stewardship.

It is true that we are traumatized society and the manifestations of the trauma are evident in our personal and community lives.

But, with the Holy Spirit, we have nothing to fear. The Holy Spirit will disentangle all the webs of confusion in our personal lives as Christians. St. Paul assures us: The spirit comes to help us when we are weak. The spirit pleads to God in groans that words cannot express, and God who sees into our hearts, knows what the thought of the spirit is (Rom. 8: 26-7).

We often feel helpless and overwhelmed by the enormity of the problems. We are disappointed by the abysmal failure of our governments. Let us invite the Holy Spirit in all honesty because, John has said: Who can defeat the world? Only the person who believes that Jesus is the Son of God (1 Jn. 5:5). The weapons of victory are in our hands given to us by the Holy Spirit. Let us therefore rise in confidence, encouraged by the words of Blessed John Henry Newman (1801-1890) in his timeless song: Lead, kindly Light, amid th’encircling gloom; Lead thou me on!

The night is dark, and I am far from home; Lead thou me on!

Keep thou my feet; I do not ask to see The distant scene—one step enough for me.

Af enmai Fes tiv al of Ar tis tr Afenmai Festiv tival Artis tistr tryy

BY USMAN ABUDAH n un-biased documentation of happenings could naturally be A tempting, especially when expected from

a stake-holder fully involved in an exercise.

This was the situation I had found myself during the 5th edition of the “Mass Assembly of Afenmai Masquerades and Traditional Troupes” held at the Ikelebe Sports Arena, Auchi, Edo State.

The weather was friendly; in another moment, the sky looked darkened, giving a threat; further, the sun would emerge as if to demonstrate that it is fully in control.

And that was the beginning of the much colourful outing, as strokes on drums and gongs announced the arrival of the various groups.

Two days earlier, a last telephone call, put through to confirm the participation of the Fugar-based double troupe (masquerade/female dancers) caused a worry. The leader, Mr. Anogbor, in a painful tone, regrettably said they won’t be able to attend.

Reason?

There was a disagreement over the sharing formula within his quarter of proceeds from a ceremony: “Can’t I come to effect a possible settlement?”, I had asked. “You can”, he said. “I was in Fugar with my Production Assistant, Mr. Kakulus Braimah. The trip, I discovered later, was totally a waste of time and fuel in the car as Mr. Anogbor explained that the matter wasn’t as simple as I had earlier thought as he has been going round members, appealing to honour my FIRST contact with them. We returned to Auchi to await the D-day. It was a soothing atmosphere: Master of ceremony-Felix Umoru - was at his best, his language of introduction made me drink my bottled water with ease.

•The Agbeloje dance The host royal father, Otaru of Auchi Kingdom, Alhaji Aliru H. Momoh Ikelebe II, arrived with his respectable palace daudus. Governor Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole’s representative, Barr. Patrick Obahiagbon, who is his C of C (Chief of Staff), was there. The entertainers in attendance were Afegiemhe female troupe of Egbogio, Agbaloje female troupe of Owan Aluaye female troupe of Okpella, Ilukpekpe male troupe of Okpekpe, Isiko (hunters dance) troupe of Auchi and versatile solo performer Oyase (of late Madam Agbaobesi Ikhenabomoh group of Ayogwiri).

Varied costumes of the troupes were symbolic, patterned in the Nigeria national flag. It wasn’t a competitive production, but the applause of the audience told the whole story as they shouted in unison-”leave them, leave them” - as a troupe excelled in performance. Master of ceremony in his round off pep talks indirectly called the results.

The host royal father offered prayers to Allah to continue to give his subject, my humble self, the strength, health and foresightedness in his propagation, promotion and the documentation of the artistry of the Afenmai people.

In my remarks, I did call on the Federal

•The Egbogio dance Government, to hand over the management of the Skill Acquisition Centres built in various zones by the National Council for Arts and Culture (N.C.A.C) to serious-minded artistic disciples to run for the benefits of the various communities where the centres are located as none is functioning and I need to be proved wrong. In his remarks, the governor ’s representative, Obahiagbon (popularly called Igodomigodo), said he had seen the dexterity of the dance steps of the artistes, heard their inciting songs, which nearly made him to want to ask for an “eben” (a Bini royal traditional dance item) to join the dancers. He spiced his remarks with a few of his wellknown rib-cracking English vocabulary phrases which are really in place to those who understand the spoken English language. It was another satisfying seasonal production with a particular regret that the Nobel Laureate, Prof.

Wole Soyinka, wasn’t able to come to see the growth of the tree he planted from the nursery in 2010. *Abudah, a journalist, is founder and Artistic Director of Afenmai Heritage and Cultural Studies, and is based in Benin City, Edo State

SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY 15, 2016 PAGE 7

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PAGE 8—SUNDAY VANGUARD, MARCH 15, 2016

Understanding forex crisis and the fuel price hike

•Petrol attendant dispensing the product

By Michael Eboh

T

he decision of the Federal Government to hike the price of Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, also known as petrol, to between N135 to N145 per litre and liberalizing the product’s importation, has thrown up a number of issues and has brought efficiency in the Nigeria’s petroleum industry to the fore.

Some of the issues raised include the timing, the long and short term effects of this hike and the inherent systemic weaknesses among others.

President Muhammadu Buhari and Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, had, in their early days in office, rejected calls for fuel price hike, vowing not to increase the hardship of the people, especially with the challenges faced by the petroleum industry and the economy in general.

The Federal Government also promised to fix the refineries and the pipeline network, increase the country’s refining capacity and secure oil facilities, as C M Y K

these were the conditions agreed upon with the organised labour and other stakeholders before any price increment is effected.

Today, the refineries are still in a dysfunctional state, pipeline sabotage remains the order of the day, while the country continues to refines less than five per cent of its local fuel consumption. Meanwhile, the Federal Government just increased the price of petrol.

This action has left Nigerians at the mercy of market forces, in spite of the seeming less-than competitive market economy, that favours monopoly with cartels here and there.

Why now?

The Federal Government had, since the collapse of crude oil price in the international market, been inundated with calls for the deregulation of the sector and the removal of petrol subsidy, but government stood its ground, especially as the low crude oil price eliminated subsidy payment.

The Federal Government, in response to the calls for subsidy removal, commenced a price modulation mechanism, whereby it would adjust petroleum prices in line with current realities. However, with the gradual rebound in the price of crude oil in the international market and the gradual return of subsidy into PMS pricing, government announced a new price range.

In announcing the new price range and why the decision was reached at this time,

Kachikwu said the inherited difficulties of the past and the challenges of the current times imply that we must take difficult decisions on these sorts of critical national issues.

Also, the Petroleum Product Pricing Regulatory Agency, PPPRA, said the decision to undertake the hike in price was as a result of the rise in crude oil price and prevailing high cost of importation which had brought back the subsidy regime since April 2016.

The PPPRA stated that due to the decline in government income related to the low crude oil price and limited crude oil output, there is neither funding nor appropriation to cover subsidy payment in the 2016 Budget.

Though the new price hike does not qualify for deregulation, experts said the fact that the Federal Government still had to set a price range qualifies the action as market liberalization, which is the relaxation of government regulations.

Consultations

The Federal Government claimed the decision was arrived at after far-reaching consultations and deliberations with the organized labour, the leadership of the Senate and the House of Representatives, Nigerian Governors Forum and oil marketers.

While oil marketers have expressed their support for the hike, the organized labour is kicking against it, promising to stage protests against the hike.

It was revealed that the organized labour and the Federal Government did not actually reach a compromise on the hike, hence the labour’s decision to protest.

Impact

The new PMS price range will have an acrossthe-board effect, as everyone, irrespective of status or position, would be affected, one way or the other, by the increase.

Specifically, the Nigerian Association for Energy Economics, NAEE, confirmed that the hike would have a negative impact on the cost of living of Nigerians and would heighten economic hardship.

However, the categories of individuals to be affected the most are the unemployed and individuals with fixed income and also low income earners.

Refineries and pipeline rehabilitation

Stakeholders are of the view that the burden of the hike in price will linger until government builds or encourages the building of additional refineries, fix and secure the pipeline network, repair existing refineries and strengthen the economy.

Continues on page 9

SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY 15, 2016 PAGE 9

Continued from page 8 Until the refineries work optimally and until the pipeline network are fixed and adequately secured, Nigeria would continue to be at the mercy of the volatility in the price of crude oil.

Under orex crisis and the fuel price hik Undersstanding fforex hikee Uwadiae Osadiaye, a researcher with FBN Quest, the investment arm of First Bank Nigeria Holdings, said the policy will bring an end to the PPPRA’s quarterly import allocations, as marketers would

State of refineries

Kachikwu had, after the price hike, stated that the country’s refineries are producing at 50 per cent of their installed capacity and efforts are on to boost their capacity to about 90 per cent.

The inability of the refineries to function at full capacity has been mainly due to s years of neglect. There is also the issue of persistent vandalisation which hindered supply of feedstock to the refineries, as well as hampered the transportation of refined products to locations across the country.

Licenses to build refineries

However, to fix the challenges of low refining capacity, the Federal Government had issued licenses to three firms to build three refineries in the country under the co-location arrangement. The refineries are to be built in the same location and premises with the existing refineries and also share facilities with the existing refineries, thereby, helping to eliminate the cost of building support facilities, like pipeline, to the new refineries.

The Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR, also gave licenses to firms to build 25 refineries in the country. Giving a breakdown of the licenses issued, the DPR said three were issued for conventional refineries, with two of them being Licenses to Establish (LTE) and one Approval to Construct (ATC).

19 licenses were issued to firms wanting to build modular refineries, with 16 being LTE and three ATC. The companies awarded licenses to build the refineries, according to the DPR are Amakpe International Refinery

•Queues gradually disappearing at the fuel stations regime to include that it would solve the unending fuel crisis by ensuring availability of products at all locations of the country.

Specifically, the PPPRA argued that the new price regime would reduce hoarding, smuggling and diversion substantially, and also stabilize price at the actual product price; ensure market stability and improve fuel situation through private sector participation.

It added that the new price will create labour market stability, especially as it has the potential to create additional 200,000 jobs through new investments in refineries and retails, while also preventing potential job losses of nearly 400,000 jobs in existing investments.

Also President of NAEE, Mr. Wumi Iledare, stated that the complete deregulation of the downstream sector of the petroleum industry, would help infuse efficiency and ensure that the sector experiences the urgently-needed transformation that had eluded it for a long time.

He disclosed that the setting of a price ceiling is not consistent with deregulation, especially as the petroleum sector is not a natural monopoly where market price will not guarantee normal returns for producers.

He said, “We are of the opinion that the subsidy has to go for the nation to fully harness its natural resources potential. NAEE opines, however, that allowing market forces

to determine prices will remove expectations of government interference in the sector and allow market players to take necessary risks and investments.”

Iledare further explained that the removal of subsidy would limit the negative impact of the major fiscal and financial burden on the country; reduce the fraud and rent-seeking behavior in the sector and increase government access to funds to develop infrastructure.

He added that subsidy removal would decrease smuggling activities especially to neighbouring countries; increase free market operations; spur the rehabilitation and revamping of local refineries and reduce the declining standard of living of Nigerians in the long run.

However, in his analysis of the new price regime, Uwadiae Osadiaye, a researcher with FBN Quest, the investment arm of First Bank Nigeria Holdings, said the policy will bring an end to the PPPRA’s quarterly import allocations, as marketers would be allowed to import products as each firm determines.

Osadiaye also stated that the PPPRA’s product pricing template’s foreign exchange assumption would now reflect the foreign exchange (fx) rate at the parallel market, saying: “This point is the real game changer and should see the re-entrance of many industry participants, mainly the independent marketers.

“The policy change also suggests that the PPPRA would have to monitor two variables going forward, crude oil prices and foreign exchange rates at the parallel market, as opposed to only oil prices previously. We expect increased pressure on parallel market rates to be a major fallout of this decision.

“However, we expect more competition in the second half of 2016, given that independent marketers are likely to re-enter the market now that importation is economically viable. Nonetheless, if foreign exchange supply agreements with the International Oil Companies (IOC) remain, at the official rate, major marketers could have a pricing advantage.

“Given the supply gap we still expect pump sale prices within the PPPRA price band on average. This could lead to gross margins expanding nicely.”

Meanwhile, in spite of attempts by the Federal Government to assuage the discontent of Nigerians concerning the price hike, the stark reality is that we may be at the mercy of the vagaries in the price of crude oil in the global market.

To this end, it is possible that fuel price would be further hiked in June, if the price of crude oil continues to rise. Therefore, until Nigeria refines about 90 per cent of its local PMS consumption, put at about 40 million litres daily, we may continue to be faced with fuel challenges.

New fuel price: CBN under pressure to adjust forex policy

By Emeka Anaeto, Economy Editor

A

t the backdrop of the new fuel price pricing template announced by the Petroleum Products Pricing and Regulatory Agency, PPPRA, last week, the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, may be forced to review its foreign exchange policy to stimulate supply of foreign exchange, and prevent furt Already members of the Monetary Policy Committee, MPC, the policy making organ of the apex bank, are said to be preparing their submissions along this line ahead of the upcoming meeting of the Committee in Abuja. Sunday Vanguard learnt that discussions would centre around liberalisation of the market to allow foreign inflows while improving supplies to Bureau de Changes.

It would also work on measures to stimulate participation of upstream oil companies in the interbank foreign exchange market.

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However, it was learnt that official devaluation of the local currency may be inevitably adopted at the MPC as the only feasible way of attracting inflows.

Government had based its costing for the new price on the parallel market exchange rate of N285/ USD1.0 as against CBN’s official rate of N198/ USD1.0.

But the parallel market rate which was about N323/ USD1.0 as at Wednesday when the new fuel pricing template was authorised, surged to between N360 and N370/ USD1.0, showing an upper band increment of 12.7%, rendering the pricing template negative barely 48 hours after the new pricing policy was introduced.

Foreign exchange dealers said that, as demand pressure amidst scarcity persists in the foreign exchange market, rates will spike further this week, worsening the landing cost of fuel on the current pricing template.

At the new parallel market exchange rate analysts yesterday put the estimated marginal cost (with marketers’ and other margins constant) at approximately 18 per cent, which yields a pump price of N171/ litre.

Already market analysts and oil marketers have started complaining that the new pricing regime would need some additional policy measures to make it attractive to private sector otherwise it would be left to government to continue to take the losses arising from

foreign exchange risks.

Commenting on the situation, last weekend, analysts at Cowry Asset Management Limited, a Lagos based investment house, said: “We advise government to deregulate the foreign exchange market so as to create liquidity for funding of petroleum products import.

“Without deregulation, shortage of foreign exchange would frustrate the objectives of the petroleum downstream deregulation.

“When the demand for funding of oil imports is transferred to the shallow parallel market, the exchange rate in that market segment would likely worsen with the attendant increase in landing cost of products.

“Even at a higher exchange rate, the parallel market would still not be able to fund demand for refined products. This could lead to worsening of the supply bottleneck” Also, in its review of the developments since the new fuel pricing regime came into force, analysts at Afrinvest West Africa, another Lagos based investment house, said: “There are limitations to the policy shifts.

“Since domestic prices reflect impacts of exchange

Continues on page 12

PAGE 10—SUNDAY VANGUARD, MARCH 15, 2016

N145 petrol: Market will stabilise in the long run — Akabogu

BY AKOMA CHINWEOKE

inexperienced marketers get their fingers burnt while trying to cash in.

The risks involved in international oil trading coupled with ship and shore logistics are considerable, so I expect that quite a number will learn this the hard way. But the market will stabilise and citizens will begin to feel the real positive impact in the medium to long term of the policy’s implementation.

riticism has continued to trail the C decision by the President Muhammadu Buhari - led

administration to increase the price of petrol which many perceive as insensitive. Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) is threatening to mobilise Nigerians for mass protests if the new policy is not reversed. The NLC described the development as unfortunate especially as it came at a time when poor Nigerians are facing economic hardship.

However, Mr. Emeka Akabogu, Chairman, OTL Africa Downstream,while baring his mind on the issue, lauded the Federal Government’s decision to hike the fuel price, describing it as the best decision the government could have taken in the circumstances. Excerpts: Initial Reaction I fully support the Federal Government’s decision. It is obviously taken with a lot of courage, given its political and social implications in the short term. I have no doubt that it is the best decision the government could have taken in the circumstances. On the platform of OTL Africa Downstream, we have maintained an active advocacy for this over the years and only last year (October), defined the approach that should be taken in achieving market driven deregulation. We are happy that the government has taken cue from our considered input and things can only get better from here.

Short-term Impact Of course the impact is already being

•Emeka Akabogu felt. In Lekki-Ikoyi axis, for instance, by midday of the day following the announcement, queues had virtually disappeared after stations had adjusted their pumps to reflect the new price. The government has essentially said anybody can import petroleum products, subject to the quality standards of the DPR and compliance with the upper price band set by PPPRA. I expect the market to be awash with products so the most obvious impact will be disappearance of fuel queues over the country as is already being seen. Unfortunately, knee jerk reaction of marketers will see everybody staying at N145/litre in the immediate term, even where they can get it cheaper. The kneejerk reactions will see many

Government Revenue, Industry Value Chain The savings on subsidy payment are significant and will soon begin to manifest. In addition, government could still even make more money through enforcement of sundry taxes.

Over the years for instance government has not been earning duty from petroleum products import after the erstwhile import duty was removed in 2002. More significantly, increased activity in the industry value chain will lead to a boost in the country’s GDP. The shipping sector will witness more activity and investment in tanker ships, with corresponding impact on tankage capacity, inspection and financial services amongst others.

Organic Development and Realignment of Market The fact is that many erstwhile operators in the downstream industry existed solely due to the patronage offered by the subsidy regime. There was no need for creative commercial or marketing solutions and competition did not exist.

The current reality is sharply different, as will become apparent shortly. Many operators will either merge or go out of business. Others will

dig deep to meet consumer needs with impact on efficiency and best practices.

Competition Policy The PPPRA/DPR or whoever the downstream regulator under the new PIB turns out to be will have to retool with a focus on commercial and economic regulation of the downstream petroleum market. I will suggest development and issuance of competition guidelines by the relevant body to avoid abuse of dominant positions which could easily develop. Cartelisation could potentially flourish with increased investment interest by big global commodities traders and this should be guarded against.

Local Refining The announcement is good news for stakeholders in the refining industry, particularly holders of licenses for modular refineries. This must, however, be urgently coupled with a clear policy on feedstock guarantees on commercial terms. Current law under Section 9 of the Petroleum Act confers a discretion on the Minister to determine the quantity and regularity of crude oil supply to refineries. This is a dangerous power as it could potentially certainty and predictability of crude flows to the refineries which could compromise their optimal commercial operations.

Our inflation fears — MAN

BY UDEME CLEMENT he increase in pump price of T Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol, by the

Federal Government from N86:50 to N145 per litre is unsettling for many Nigerians, especially local manufacturers who buy petrol daily to power their generating sets for production.

When Sunday Vanguard visited the office of Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) in Lagos, to get reactions from members, some manufacturers said that the new petrol price will have negative effect on the industrial sector of the economy, especially at the time when the nation’s economy is on the verge of recession.

In a chat, the Chairman, Toiletries & Cosmetics group of MAN, Mr. Ikpong Umoh, said, “When it comes to the issue of petrol, we must be sincere because fuel scarcity disconnects manufacturing activities, adds to the cost of production much more than availability of the product.

Government must openly tell us whether we are still operating a subsidy regime or not. A hike in fuel price from N86.50 to N145 is a huge increase of about almost 80 percent. Government and oil marketers would have added only a marginal increase and not a huge increase that will worsen inflation rate that is already 13.2 percent (double digit). This is because petrol affects the cost of transportation, food items, C M Y K

•Ikpong Umoh pharmaceutical products and all sectors of the entire economy. This huge increase in fuel price will have adverse effect on local industries that are already closing shop due to harsh operating environment.”

He went on, “Marginal increase should have been allowed only in the short-run. In the long term, independent oil markets as well as other private investors should be given licenses to set up refineries across strategic locations in the country. Government should liberalise the oil and gas sector to enhance more investments inflow.

For example, instead of importing refined petroleum products into the country, oil marketers can set up modular refineries and refine the

product locally”.

On the new directive given by Power Minister, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, urging power Distribution Companies (DISCOs) to sell shares to new investors for fresh capital, he said, “What the minister said will help the power companies to get more capital into the business. However, government must review the privatisation of PHCN and sale of its assets, because it is not yielding any positive result. The entire privatisation exercise looks like a fraud. The issue of power supply has become hydra-headed. It appears they sold PHCN to their friends and party members, who do not have the technical know-how to run the facilities but only keeps increasing tariff.”

“The monopoly of power companies must be broken.

It is only in Nigeria and no where else in the world, that people are compelled to pay for products they are not consuming. The power companies only increase tariff and want people to pay more money without electricity supply.

Why should public utilities be sold to individuals who do not have the expertise to manage them? Even after privatisation, the power firms collected billions of naira as bailout funds from

government. Let them tell the public what they have done with all the money they collected from CBN.” On the disagreement between MAN and DISCOs he said, “The dialogue MAN had with DISCOs several times failed. That was why MAN said sanity must be put into system by taking the matter to court.

While the matter is still in court, they must not disconnect MAN’s members. Let DISCOs give people regular power supply and pre-paid meters to measure the level of consumption and consumers will be willing to pay the tariff.”

Our investigations revealed that, the previous government approved N18.26billion loans for five power companies to boost electricity supply, just after N5.2billion was given for similar purpose. N3.9billion was also approved for power transmission infrastructure, while N1.3 billion was approved for manpower development and training of 3,700 trainees, under the National Power Sector Apprenticeship Scheme(NAPSAS), even as government also said that N347 billion was needed for transmission to meet domestic and industrial consumption.

SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY 15, 2016, PAGE 11

Our fuel price hike story,

I will almost take a bet with you that, in six months’ time, you will be amazed what will happen to the N145 price because it will be going downwards

by Kachikwu Kachikwu by •Ibe Kachikwu

M

inister of State for

Petroleum, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, is optimistic that, in six months’ time, petrol price, under the new dispensation, will take a downward trend from the N135 – N145 per litre band. Kachikwu tells the fuel price hike story in this interview.

What the Federal Government has just announced, is it deregulation or liberalization of what?

I try not to get involved in the semantics of those. The reality is that we are freeing up the economy, freeing up the business. The ultimate of what we are headed for is that everybody should be able to do the business, bring in the business.

People want to have an argument about what to call it but at the end of the day, the basic objective is what was achieved with diesel or kerosene, which is that government will have less control over the business and individuals will be free to compete and Nigerians would reap the benefit.

The issue is that for diesel, we know no agency is fixing the price for it; so the question is: why is there a price cap for petrol?

The reason is that we are starting from a point where, because of the sensitivity of PMS, you want to be sure that, at the initial stage, you want to be sure of how you do your pricing.

Ultimately, we would let the market dynamics take place.

At N145 for PMS, some marketers are insisting that this is no deregulation?

With diesel, it’s consumption is nothing compared to PMS and the sensitivities are different. What we’ve done is an upper cap. We have not told anybody what price to sell. We believe that efficiencies would tell C M Y K

people at what price to sell.

We have a price band of N135 to N145. But the reality is that those are guidelines.

It’s going to depend on how you get your forex, how efficient you are through the entire chain of the business because if you are interested and involved in the tankage, the distribution, the logistics, you have greater efficiency and that will impact your pricing.

We sat down after very long conversation with those who play in the sector to look at the PPPRA template. For every item that the PPPRA has used guidance for, those issues were covered. Ultimately, as the market stabilizes - mind you, the NNPC is still a player - and don’t forget that this is a transition period and, at the end of the day, there is a social responsibility that the product, which is not just like the diesel which has a selective consumption, is everywhere for Nigerians.

We would help transit that period but you will see that, as the market dynamics take hold - and this is going to be pretty fast - because there are lots of Nigerians who are active players who have been prevented by government intrusions. As they get better and it gets to a point where the market has stabilized, we begin to pull back a bit in terms of determinants of pricing.

what we are trying to address now.

Lots of arbitrages because, at the end of the day, NNPC provides the product, largely subsidized, and then people took advantage and sold at the wrong prices.

Now these people are going to be bringing in their own products. And even when NNPC brings in its products, it will sell at those prices, so there will be no opportunity for these short-term arbitrages. Those benefits, now, will come from your own skill sets and efficiency.

What has happened, really, is that we have provided an opportunity for people to take advantage of government’s liberalization of the environment, so that the advantages people were taking before, which never really percolated down to the Nigerian masses, are no longer there. The loss factor government used to bear, the inefficiency that comes with the inability of government to cover the whole spectrum, but people are making vast sums of money while the environment is challenged. And the reality is that if you left the environment free for people to perform and trade, you will be amazed at what will happen to pricing.

I will almost take a bet with you that, in six months’ time, you will be amazed what will happen to the N145 price - because it will be going downwards.

Part of the concerns Nigerians still have is how they are going to cope with this because agencies like the PPMC, DPR, the PEF, and, despite the price of N87, people were still buying the product for over N100.

What is the guarantee that the pricing guidelines would not be flouted again and then you have the product going for over N200?

Then, the reality was that the difference you saw then is part of

Nigerians want to know at what price the NNPC and its affiliates will be selling, especially for the products that come from the refineries here in Nigeria?

In terms of what NNPC will sell for, we will compete with everybody else at the new price.

What I expect is that within the cities, we will try to stay as close to the competition as much as possible because you do not want to have a

massive gap with the emergence of queues at NNPC stations which was the case with the old price of N86.50. You’ll be astonished how much time people will spend at the stations just because of that 50kobo difference - and this is understandable. Within the cities you will probably won’t have much of a difference between the marketers - N1/ N2. But as you go into the hinterlands, NNPC stations would want to stay at about N135 than the N145 band.

In terms of what the refineries would sell for, the refineries will become competitive and one of the reasons refineries have not worked well in this country is because PMS is largely subsidized. Nobody wants to invest in refineries because, at the end of the day, when you put in all the capital investment and government tells you what you’re going to sell for, most times it doesn’t take into consideration the market issues; the little that we produce today and, for the first time three of our refineries are working albeit at very low capacity levels, we would like to see that upgraded. The little we produce, which is less than 10million liters a day, we will sell at competitive prices for the first time and those products would be bought by everybody - NNPC, major marketers and all the other players.

You made reference to the issue of forex as being one of the challenges.

What happened to the arrangement of preference in getting forex for the marketers?

We’ve since stopped that because the fundamentals are these: We’ve moved from a position where the government earned between $110/$117 a barrel, to an average of about $40 a barrel which is about 70% drop in supply of forex.

Two, with the problems of vandalization, militancy and the like, we are losing about 500,000 to 600,000 barrels a day and, as a matter of fact, we are now down from production of 2.2million to 1.4million barrels a day; so in terms of volume and in terms of value, we are far away from where we were before. There is, largely, very substantial diminishing income, so government cannot therefore make, as a priority, the downstream sector to continue to get forex to import.

That’s practical reality because you don’t give what you don’t have.

I want Nigerians to understand that we feel the pain and we have tried to avoid it since we came in, in October last year. We’ve done everything we can. We first went on to the issue of the subsidies that we inherited - which were based on 50/55million liters per day. But we said these numbers were bloated.

And we did our findings and came up with a figure of 45million liter consumption a day. And that was the first attempt at subsidy and then we came to the second pint of saying we are not even going to have subsidy again.

Continues on page 12

PAGE 12—SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY 15, 2016

Our fuel price hike story, by Kachikwu Continued from page 11 We are going to exit it because there was so much fraud involved in it. And from January to March, if you look at our books, there were no subsidies. The price modulation helped us to achieve that, but in April, the bleeding started when the price of oil went forward and we couldn’t find the forex we needed, subsidy came right back.

Luckily, because of the first three months of proper management, we were able to cover the subsidy in April.

And so that helped, but as you continue, if you do not take the steps that we have taken now, massive subsidy will continue. So the reality is that the forex you’re looking for is not even there. It’s not just that somebody is not giving you forex, it is that the capacity to find and have forex has substantially diminished and a lot of work is going on to try and recover that - pipeline repairs, exiting cash calls which we are working on. We are doing a lot of work in trying to bundle up forex.

We’ve struggled, queues continue to go and now they are back. And it will continue to happen unless we address the issues.

As emotive as it is, we do share the sympathies and pain but, as a responsible government, we’ve got to take decisions and try and solve problems.

That’s the reality and we’ve come to see that if you free up Nigerians to find sources of fund, they will find those secondary sources, they will import the products, the burden on NNPC will reduce, and the country will have peace and subsidy will go away permanently.

The extra earnings that will go into NNPC will be used to repair the refineries and infrastructure in the country.

People are now talking about the ripple effects on the average Nigerian. Are there palliatives for the short, medium and long term for Nigerians if you say you feel their pains?

First, let me say that we had this debate about palliatives and I think one of the things we do wrong

•Ibe Kachikwu

sometimes is that when we initiate these policies, because we are trying so hard to sell what ordinarily should have been right, we begin to throw palliatives at people. And at the end of the day, government ends up not delivering. So what I’ve advised on this is that, firstly, how did we come to the pricing of N145? It’s a simple conversion of using forex ($) at N285.

It is from nowhere but it is the secondary source that people buy forex from, versus the N320 which is the black market; so if you add it up and divide, you come to about N141/142 and so, at that price, there isn’t much gap for palliative. It’s simple, go out, source for your funds, import and come and deliver.

For the NNPC, obviously, there would be some earnings because the

NNPC could have sold for less than this; so the earnings from that can be deployed as the Federal Government wants into infrastructure.

In terms of palliatives, there are lots of palliatives in the budget because there are projects that would impact, positively, on the lives of Nigerians.

It is not on the basis of petroleum products pricing that government would be providing palliatives, government is cognizant of the fact that it’s business is to provide palliatives to Nigerians and that is what we are doing.

This is still early days, we would look at the earnings by NNPC and deploy where necessary for the benefit of Nigerians.

Let me just add this, most state governments are owing workers’ salaries for up to four months. And this is because, as income drops, funds become scarce and it impacts on states.

The first palliative is that, as we continue to block leakages and improve on our efficiencies to tackle some problems that we met when we came in, the states should begin to get more money from the Federation Account.

Once that is achieved, there would be an easing of the burden. NNPC would also become more efficient achieving more returns on investment because of competition. In the case of diesel today, NNPC’s participation is less than 10% because most of it has been taken over by private businesses. There’s so much work to be done and so much money is needed.

With what we are doing now, there would be so much money freed for government to deliver more for the people because we are there to serve the people.

So, I will rather look at palliatives from the 2016 Budget point of view than attempt to sell this using palliatives.

What would happen to the 445,000 barrels that NNPC gets?

In terms of the 445,000 barrels that NNPC gets, today, cumulatively, that comes to about 14 cargoes and about four or five of those go into the refineries when the refineries were not working, we sold that and put the money into the Federation Account. We would like to see a situation where the refineries are kept working, not because they are the most efficient now but it is good that we keep them working because, in terms of strategic reserves, they are very helpful Kaduna can take care of the North, Warri and Port Harcout can distribute towards the west and east respectively, rather than the massive 1,500 trucks moving everyday.

To Nigerians We want to appeal to Nigerians that we are doing our very best. We came in to meet problems and we have been working tirelessly to ensure that things get better. We hope that Nigerians see the honesty of what we are doing are not trying to lie to Nigerians or embellish the issues.

We want Nigerians to trust us.

Kachikwu spoke on Channels Television programme, SUNRISE DAILY

CBN under pressure to adjust forex policy Continued from page 9 rate and crude oil price movements, fixed landing cost and distribution margin set in the current pricing template may be inadequate to ensure stable margin for industry players, thus constituting a business risk for marketers.

“The Minister of Petroleum did mention that the pricing guideline is at initial stage of the deregulation process and ultimately allow market dynamics to set in.

“We believe that the ultimate conclusion of the reform and pricing dynamics such as exchange rate and crude oil prices, ought to be left for market forces to determine.

“More importantly, policy inflexibility of foreign exchange market still constitute a burden to importers and tacit approval granted to marketers to source foreign exchange at secondary markets could pressure exchange rate further at the parallel market.

“We think that the recent effort should be complimented with an exchange rate liberalization policy, hence, we anticipate a major move on foreign exchange by the CBN this month”.

In its own impact analysis of the change in fuel pricing model, analysts at Vetiva Capital Markets Limited stated, “whilst the liberalisation of the market is a positive development and big step toward C M Y K

We believe that the ultimate conclusion of the reform and pricing dynamics such as exchange rate and crude oil prices, ought to be left for market forces to determine full deregulation of the sector, we express worries about the current foreign exchange framework undermining this effort.

“We recall that on average, foreign exchange demand for fuel imports account for about 30% of weekly sales at the interbank market. Our sense is that due to shortage of USDollar receipts, the CBN, through commercial banks, may no longer be willing to continue fully funding fuel imports via the official window. “The question we now ask is can autonomous sources sufficiently meet the significant foreign exchange demand for fuel imports?

“We are aware of the arrangement between Majors and related upstream companies but anticipate that as other independents enter the market, the currency could come under pressure

outside of the official window and expect the premium between both markets to further widen.

“In our view, if foreign exchange availability had been the major hindrance in fuel importation up until this point, without a requisite adjustment in the current foreign exchange framework, it is unclear how this new structure will sufficiently eliminate fuel queues at retail stations across the country.

“Based on this, we expect the CBN to roll out new foreign exchange guidelines soon”.

Sunday Vanguard investigations showed that already a few filling stations in Lagos have started selling at about N150/ litre, a N5.0 mark up on the new pump price while those outside Lagos were selling far above the recommended price.

One of them said they would not be making profit at the N145/ litre if they were to import the fuel directly, but when reminded that the product he was selling was imported by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, and sold to the marketers at the old price, he claimed they were preparing to source foreign exchange at the parallel market rate to import except if the NNPC would continue to subsidise the imports.

As at weekend, oil marketers indicated that foreign exchange sourcing would remain problematic

in realizing the objective of the price increase which was to secure the involvement of private sector in importing and supplying products to ease scarcity across the country.

But an official of the NNPC said the pricing template would be reviewed quarterly to reflect market realities, but declined to say if it would go up or down.

According to him, “it is difficult to say if it will go up or down because it would be determined by market circumstances at the time of the review”.

He added that government would be watching the developments in the days ahead to see where there are new problems and determine the best way to address such problems.

He ruled out possibility of government subsidising the cost differentials arising from imported costs such as foreign exchange market and international oil price, saying that NNPC can no longer afford it.

His position apparently aligns with the 2016 Budget and the figures reeled out by the Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, last week.

According to the minister, N13.7/litre was being paid as subsidy claims before the recent price adjustments, which translates to N16.4 billion monthly, indicating that retaining the previous price would imply extra-budgetary expenditure would be made since the recently signed budget does not make provision for subsidy.

SUNDAY

Vanguard, MAY 15, 2016, PAGE 13

PAGE 14—SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY 15 , 2016 Benjamin Njoku njokujamin@yahoo.com

Muma Gee and I abstained from sex until we got married – Prince Eke, husband W

hen the news of their marriage broke in 2011, many expressed reservation, predicting the unthinkable. But staractor Prince Eke was not discouraged as he went ahead and married the love of his life, Gift Uwame, popularly known as Muma Gee in the music industry. However, five years down the lane, the couple are still standing, having been blessed with three kids including twins. Prince Eke recounts the story of how he met his wife, the challenges and the gains. His wife also revealed how she had to undergo a purification stage before she finally said ‘I do’to her husband.

When our paths crossed met my wife at Emeka Ike’s child dedication. It was shortly after he won that ground-breaking Celebrity edition of the Gulder Ultimate Search. I have always believed that when I see my wife I would definitely know, she’s the one. So, when I saw her something told me she’s my wife. That was what happened.

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Her reaction when I proposed to her She laughed at me and said, “You really think you can use that to get into my parts?”

However, I proposed to her the same day we met. And I paid her bride price two months later.

Courtship I met her on the 13th of June 2011, and we got married in August, 2011. So, we didn’t date for a long time before we got married. Surprisingly, I never had carnal knowledge of my wife before we got married.

Opposition from friends and family members My family members never discouraged me because they believed I am man enough to make my decisions. And I think my mind was made up at that time. I don’t need to take permission from anybody to marry my wife.

The journey so far It has not been so rosy but at least, we are learning the ropes. We used the first two years of our marriage to get used to each other; become compatible.

Marrying a celebrity The Bible says that he who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favour from the Lord. For me, your profession doesn’t matter, but what matters most in life is your personality.

C M Y K

Do I have a love life?

Yes, I’d have a love life.

Before I met my wife, I had a girl friend but marriage is different from friendship.

Heart breaker!

I am not a heart-breaker. I didn’t break anybody’s heart neither did anybody break my own heart. I believe that whoever I have anything to do with, I try not to end our relationship in a way that one party would feel hurt.

Married at the right time?

Of course, anything good comes at the right time.

What has kept my marriage

Eke with wife Muma Gee woman. What has helped my marriage is that we tried to respect each other’s opinion and feelings.

Off the screen By the grace of God, I try to be the best husband and the best daddy on this planet. going Understanding and respect for each other.

Feeling intimidated by my wife’s credentials

I have never felt intimidated in any way. If you don’t know me too well, I am known as a gladiator. I don’t get intimidated. Funny enough, my wife is a down to earth

Between being an entertainer and family man For now, my wife has been on break, trying to take care of the home front. I give my wife all the attention she deserves from me.

There was no man in my life when I met my husband — Muma Gee Marriage life here was no man in my life at the time I met my husband, though I had casual friends then. I stopped keeping friends the moment I got born again. I went through a purification stage at a time and that was months after my husband came into my life.

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How it all started After the Celebrity edition of the Gulder Ultimate Search, Emeka Ike, who was my best friend during the reality show, was doing a child dedication. I did not know that my husband was one of his best friends that attended the dedication. We met inside the church. Emeka introduced us to each other, and that was how our love story started. Thereafter, my husband proposed to me the same day I met him.

He knelt down to propose to me.

Though the ring came much later. But since then, I have remained his faithful wife. I wouldn’t say it was love at first sight because there no love in the first place. The love that existed between me and my husband has been that kind of love that grew with time. For me, it was a divine calling to be with him as a wife.

Proposal I was not surprised when he proposed to me because I prayed over it and God opened my eyes to see things myself. I asked God to show me signs and those signs came to pass.

I observed courtship with her husband because “I don’t believe that what will be will linger for too long before coming into fruition.” How did she meet her husband, you may want to ask? “

Prince with wife Muma Gee during their traditional marriage

Marriage as a wonderful experience I’m still learning the ropes. I hear everyday that marriage is an institution that one never ever graduate. So, I am still learning, It has not been easy, yet it has always been easy and enjoyable too.

There are moments when you want to do certain things but you can’t because you are a married woman.

On divorce I don’t believe in it. This is because my mother never divorced my father.

But there are cases that can lead to divorce. I wouldn’t say he’s lucky, rather he’s a man that came to fulfil God’s plan in my life.

The attraction I got attracted to my husband because of his brilliance. When he opens his mouth to speak, you have no choice but to listen to him. He sounds like a wise man, and his native intelligence attracted me to him.

I inquired about his educational background and he told me that he had a masters degree in psychology.

Family reaction His family was indifferent at the early stage. This is because they wanted us to observe courtship, but I insisted that as a born again Christian, I didn’t want to go into courtship. I wasn’t in a hurry, but I didn’t want to commit any sin at that stage of my life. This is because I have cleansed myself.

SUNDAY Vanguard, MAY 15, 2016, PAGE 15

Seun Kuti calls for protest over petrol pump price hike A

frobeat singer, Seun Kuti, son of Afrobeat legend, Fela Kuti, is demonstrating more and more that he is a true son of his father, by not letting the government off the hook so easily when they execute unpopular programmes or make unfriendly policies. The singer, in an Instagram post has called on Nigerians to say no to imported petrol and hike in petrol pump price. He reasoned that since NNPC gets its own fuel locally there shouldn’t be any increase in their own pump price.“NNPC gets its dollars directly from crude sales, so it doesn’t have to source from secondary sources. NNPC refines it’s petrol locally, so why are they increasing their pump price if this is just deregulation and subsidy removal? This is a price hike or NNPC has been getting subsidy also? #saynotoimportedpetrol. How much will NNPC sell petroleum since they source locally? It has to be at the old prices, right? Dear Nigerians, this is our chance to fight back without the NLC or any trade union. It’s simple. #saynotoimportedpetrol. Let’s all buy from NNPC stations only. We have already been queuing for months” he wrote.

He further reasoned that anyone who wants to sell fuel in Nigeria should refine it in Nigeria, while challenging the

marketers to build their own refineries and shun importation of the product entirely.

“Anyone that wants to sell fuel in Nigeria should •Seun Kuti refine it in Nigeria.

This will boost the economy and provide plenty of jobs and also plenty of petrol. #saynotoimportedpetrol.

Let’s shut them down.

They always say we can’t sacrifice and organize as a people. Let’s start here it’s simple, we just have to #saynotoimportedpetrol. If Buhari was truly fearless, his directive should have been that all marketers must build refinery before they can sell. That way the hardship will be on a few not the many!! Like we don’t know they want to use our sweat to recoup election expenses incurred by their government chicken boys. These people have made billions based on licenses issued in the name of the Nigerian people , it’s time to force them to put some back in the Nigerian people not David Cameron’s backyard. That’s fantastically corrupt” he added.

Victoria Kimani shows off svelte body C

•Victoria Kimani

hocolate City signee and Kenya-born singer has just posted a disarming picture on her Facebook page, with all her gift of nature almost all bare for all to see. On seeing the picture, what comes to the mind, is, what is Kimani trying to tell us?

But if we remember a piece by Potpourri a couple of months ago, shading the actress for gaining some extra few pounds, one can begin to understand what point Kimani is trying to prove. Back then, at one of Quilox’s open house events, she really looked chubby but not in this picture – she’s all very Kimani. Wouldn’t you say? In a past interview with Vanguard, she disclosed she sometimes wears hijab to hide her curves, but here it doesn’t look like she’s trying to hide anything.

Cossy’s big joke on marriage

C M Y K

By TOFARATI IGE

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t seems no one is talking about the enviable’ strides that Nigerian singer, Wizkid, has attained in recent times.

The blame is entirely Wizkid’s because his involvement in scandals these days would make fans and news hounds concentrate on the wrong things. He was recently listed as the 12th most downloaded artiste on the Global iTunes chart and Spotify. Now, that’s impressive. The ‘Babanla’ songster was the only Nigerian listed among 200 artistes from around the world. Other heavyweights on the chart include Beyonce, Rihanna, Justin Bieber, and Drake. Meanwhile, ‘One Dance’ the song on which Wizkid was featured by Drake recently made it to the Billboard Hot 100, making it Drake’s first track as a lead artiste on the chart. Kyla is the other artiste featured on the track. This is even as Wizzy, as he’s fondly called, recently performed in Sierra Leone as part of his world tour. He was welcomed into the country by the president, and his performance was so explosive that a female fan fainted at the sight of the 26 years old singer.

Lagos City Chorale for German festival

By TONY NWANKWO

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utty Queen sensation, Cossy Orjiakor is hardly a comedienne of note, at least no one has really associated any sense of humour with the boobs-toting singer and actress. But she has shown that hilarious side of her in a recent Facebook post she made on her handle.

According to the sexy diva “ Not all marriage start with “Will You Marry Me?” Some start with “I am Pregnant” she joked.

Though we are still waiting for the star to pick a wedding date after telling the whole world that she would marry soon some months ago. Is it the ‘Will you marry me or the ‘I am Pregnant’ that will work for her?

Wizkid’s giant strides

•Cossy Orjiakor

he Nigerian multi-international award winning choir, Lagos City Chorale, has been invited by the Confederation of German Choral Association to participate at the 13th Musica Sacra International Festival in Marktoberdorf, Germany from 13th – 21st May, 2016. The group led by the Maestro Sir Emeka Nwokedi left Nigeria, May 11, for the Festival. The only group representing Nigeria is the only choir invited from Africa. Lagos City Chorale has participated in various world’s biggest choral festivals and competitions and won several laurels (Gold & Silver) for Nigeria from these Festivals and competitions. The group participated in the 2015 edition of the European Choir Games held in Magdeburg, Germany, obtaining a special Award of Honour for its contributions to the ideal of international understanding and peace initiative through choral music.

PAGE 16— SUNDAY Vanguard, MAY 15, 2016 Onikoyi68@gmail.com

African China turns hairdresser

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BY TOFARATI IGE

othing much has been heard from talented music artiste, Chinagorom Onuoha aka African China in a while. The singer, famed for phenomenal tracks such as ‘Mr President’ ‘If You Love Somebody,’ and ‘Crisis’ went under the radar after he was embroiled in a rape scandal in the United Kingdom about 10 years ago.

Though he has released some songs after that ugly incident, they did not record the kind of success his first tracks attracted.

The Ajegunle-born singer has however decided to tow a different path businesswise. He is now the proprietor of a hair salon known as Chyna Town Unisex Beauty Salon, which is located at Festac, Lagos.We can only hope he hasn’t finally given up on his music career.

•African China

Why celebrity marriages crash — Sheyi Ashekun

By KEHINDE AJOSE ince the Tiwa Savage and Tee Billz marriage crisis came into public glare, some entertainers have been expressing their opinions on reasons why celebrity marriages crash. Nollywood actress, Sheyi Ashekun has expressed her opinion saying it can be traced to insecurity, absence of love and when the man has failed in his responsibility as the bread winner. “Marriages break in every industry not just in the entertainment industry. The breakups can be traced to insecurity, absence of love and when the man has failed in his responsibility as a breadwinner. When a man is no longer the breadwinner and the woman takes his place, she may be considered as being bossy and arrogant.

Omotola’s marriage would last because her husband is financially buoyant. She became everything she is today under his roof. When a man is successful, his wife’s success won’t intimidate him”.

Daniel K. Daniel, Christiana Martin, Chelsea Eze, get “Scorned”in new rape movie

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•Ruth Kadiri

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hristiana Martin and Tokunbo Ahmed’s project, “Scorned”, is another movie that tackles one of the raving social issues, that has affected many in Nigeria and even in the diaspora rape. The movie has just concluded its production process and has delved into post production in anticipation of its cinema release, which is not too far away.”Scorned” stars include talented, fast rising stars in the industry, with the likes of Daniel K. Daniel, Christiana Martin, Okey Uzoeshi, Chelsea Eze, Chigul, Funny Bone,and a few others, who interpreted their roles without amiss. With too many people concentrating on corruption and nepotism in the socio-political strata, “Scorned” has decided to Daniel K. Daniel, speak for rape victims and those who have been and Chelsea Eze robbed of their voice to speak and be free. “Scorned” is about to take you through the hidden psychological trauma that you never knew existed.

Fan Kunle Afolayan’s ‘’The CEO’’ undressed at a press screening makes BY entertainer from Benin Republic, cocktail party at the boarding gate ADERONKE ADEYERI Angélique Kidjo; Haitan actor and and also a red carpet run into the breathtaking model Jimmy Jean-Louis; ith so much expectation for every plane. Just imagine an after-party consummate actor, Wale Ojo; Frenchhappening 35,000ft to 40,000ft above W work by award winning artwork out of filmmaker,Kunle Afolayan, fans, Ivorian actress and model, Aurelie the sea level. It is sure going to be a Eliam; South African actor and unique experience as our fans will friends, and even sponsors stormed presenter, Nicolaos Panagiotopoulos; Ruth Kadiri’s the be waiting for us in Paris where the press screening of the movie, The Nigerian actress, Kemi Lala Akindoju; film has been slated for a special CEO at the Silverbird Cinemas to Moroccan star, Fatim Layachi; Kenyan premiere at the Nollywood Week a pan-African project having Image watch actor Peter King, Nigerian actress, Paris, taking place from May 2 to 5, pooled its cast from countries such as

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ome fans could go the extra mile to show that they indeed appreciate celebrities for who they are and what they are doing.

Fast rising Nollywood actress, Ruth Kadiri, woke up to this beautiful artwork adapted from an image of her by a fan, and she is all so excited about how beautiful it came out. See the image and the artwork

C M Y K

•Sheyi Ashekun

Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya, Benin Republic, Ivory Coast and Morocco among others.

Speaking after the press screening, Afolayan revealed that the film will headline the prestigious Nollywood Week Paris, a film festival organized by the French-based association Okada Media, headed by Serge Noukoué and Nadira Shakur.

“Come June 1, 2016, we shall be having the first-of-its-kind premiere of The CEO aboard Air France to Paris, France. This special premiere will begin with a red carpet show at the check-in counter at the Muritala Mohammed International Airport.

There shall be the best of media coverage from partners such as Africa Magic, Silverbird Television and other broadcast and print media who have shown us tremendous support from the past. The fun continues with a

Hilda Dokubo as well as Nigerian singer, Adekunle Gold and Moroccan Afrobian artiste, Ahmed Soultan who made cameo appearances in the film.

Top dignitaries expected as part of the in-flight premiere are the Minister of Culture and Tourism, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwumi Ambode, Commercial Manager, Air France/KLM Arthur Dieffenthaler and Acting Managing Director, Bank of Industry, Mr. Waheed Olagunju. Also, officials of DStv, Peugeot Automobile, Adron Homes and Properties, Inagbe Grand Resorts and Leisure as well as several notable filmmakers and actors in Nollywood will also be on board.

Other schedules for The CEO include a Lagos Premiere scheduled for July Kunle Afolayan and Commercial 10, 2016, to be followed by Cinema Manager, Air France/KLM Arthur release on July 15, 2016.

Dieffenthaler at the popular Cinema l’Arlequin.”

The impressive cast of The CEO will also be joining the flight in Lagos including, Grammy awardwinning singer, songwriter and

SUNDAY

Vanguard, MAY 15, 2016 — PAGE 17

•His Imperial Majesty, Ooni Adeyeye Enitan Babatunde Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, during the interview in his palace

Ooni of Ife and violence -free world project •The House of Oduduwa advocacy

BY CHARLES KUMOLU

T

he advocacy against violence among youths resonated with His Imperial Majesty Ooni Adeyeye Enitan Babatunde Ogunwusi and he did not hesitate to embrace the project which now operates under the auspices of the House of Oduduwa Foundation.

He is very concerned about youth involvement with violence- a situation he believes has been worsened by lack of employment opportunities.

The revered monarch, therefore, holds nothing back in helping to stem this tide.

Interestingly, he is recorded as the first guest for the Violence Free World Show, VFW Show.

The half-hour television programme, anchored by veteran broadcaster and culture activist, Mr. Cally Ikpe, features iconic personalities, who would lend their voices to thumbing violence and also point the way forward. Other notable individuals have also been featured.

Sunday Vanguard also

gathered that the non violence advocacy programme would also honour individuals who have contributed to ensuring a violence free Nigeria. This is to be fused with the annual Nigeria Music Video Awards being the entirely youth inclined platform to impact the target audience.

The House of Oduduwa Interestingly, the House Of Oduduwa Foundation was born out of the philanthropic nature of the Ooni.

This philantropism has manifested in several previous contributions to the welfare of the less privileged and the development of the society.

His passion for people is apparent in the special attention he pays to the welfare of everyone and continuous efforts to give back to the society, with special focus on the less privileged around him.

Many can attest to this fact. There have been efforts through organized platforms saddled with the responsibility of giving back to the less privileged, one of which is the Gran Imperio Foundation.

The organization not only

While it may be impracticable to achieve a hundred percent non-violence world, it is believed that campaigning against it with words and works can keep violence low

satisfies the corporate social responsibility of taking care of those of lesser means, it also expresses the passion to build a balanced community, which is the Ooni’s true calling.

The foundation seeks to bring succour to the grassroots and the people of Ile-Ife, and in extension the entire Yoruba race as a whole.

With the aim of touching lives positively through charity

relentless service to humanity, the foundation seek to encourage the following: Support innovative approaches to existing social and educational structures for better impact on the welfare and development of children, adolescents and youths; encourage and support youth initiatives that foster the culture of volunteerism, social responsibility, creativity and selfactualization; provide education scholarships and bursaries to deserving students particularly from vulnerable groups, disadvantaged families and marginalized communities and encourage information/ communication technology programmes in deserving primary, secondary and tertiary institutions.

On the economic front, the monarch through the foundation aims at establishing vocational training and skills acquisition centres, while ensuring job creation for sustainable economic empowerment.

In addition, it seeks to encourage, fund and support community-based environment friendly projects that generate income and create jobs.

While it may be impracticable to achieve a hundred percent nonviolence world, it is believed that campaigning against it with words and works can keep violence low.

PAGE 18—SUNDAY Vanguard, MAY 15, 2016

THE OONI SPEAKS, FIVE MONTHS AFTER

Most of the things I use are made in Nigeria – Oba Ogunwusi, Ojaja II

– ‘How I escaped death during June 12 crisis'

By Charles Kumolu

A

t a time the spate of violence across Nigeria seems to be threatening national security, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi Ojaja II, offers a valuable intervention, in this interview conducted at his palace preparatory to a non-violence programme, Peace Icons and the NMVA, coordinated by veteran broadcaster and cultural activist , Mr. Cally Ikpe. The monarch, who has passion for getting the teeming youths of Nigeria gainfully engaged, examines the country's rate of violence within the context of the role of the youths and concludes that addressing the challenge is an urgent issue of national interest.

He ascended the throne in December, 2015.

Your concern about the youths in the country is well known especially on empowerment and youth violence. How concerned are you about the spate of violence everywhere in the country?

I am indeed very concerned because if you look at the statistics of those engaging in violence all over the world, they are mostly youths between the ages of 18 and 40 years. Those formative years you don’t have proper balance. You will rarely see someone of about 60 or 80 years engaging in violence.

Between the ages of 10 and 18, you will easily see people in that category engage in violence.

But at above 18, you will start developing the rebellious spirit that 'I can be on my own, I don’t want to be to taught again, I think I can stand on my own', peer influence and all sorts of advice from bad fellowship. So it pretty much has to do with the formative years and it really has to be carefully guided.

What do you say about people being under the impression that violence is profitable and and maybe somehow government is encouraging it?

I don’t believe in that school of thought that violence is profitable You can spin violence in different ways. You can spin it in a positive or negative way.

One is very productive, the other is counterproductive. When you spin violence in a negative manner, then it becomes very destructive, When you spin violence in a very positive manner, you become constructive. If you look at the pioneers of this country, they were not violent but they stood up to save this country and they were young men. The likes of

•Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi ,Ojaja II

I am a living example of the saying that charity begins at home. My crown is made in Nigeria , most of the things I use are made in Nigeria. My policy is that the minimum of 60 -70 percent of what I wear should be made in Nigeria Awolowo, Ahmadu Bello and Azikiwe among others. So my point is that violence cannot be called any other name than violence if is destructive. In Nigeria today, over 70 percent of the youths are jobless.

Nothing is moving for them, so they intend to look for the easiest way out by saying that if I decide to go against the law, I will make quick money and I can oppress other people. It is a systemic thing, you don’t just probably think violence is profitable. If they had alternatives, I don’t think they will embrace violence. I don’t belong to that school of thought, my school of thought is let the system work, let the system run, then we can separate the grain from the chaff.

Do you think government is actually doing enough to discourage this trend because, sometimes, we have seen government trying to go into

negotiations with kidnappers, Boko Haram terrorists, hijackers, blackmailers and other criminal elements?

It is neither here nor there. When such a situation comes up, you look at the overall interest and what is the overall interest? National security. Any time national security comes in, that is when government may try negotiating because the country is bigger than all of us but violence is simply bad. What is bad is bad. The truth is that things are not working. I think we can spin it in a different way. And the way we can spin it is for the youths to take things upon themselves and be more responsible, we should not put everything to government.

We should stand up like a united force. If we have good leadership in terms of youth associations, I think government will listen, but if we say we want to put everything to government by saying they are doing less, you can’t satisfy 70 percent of 180 million people. The rate at which our population has grown over the last 20 to 30 years is in geometric progression and there has not been much plan and much provision for that rapid population growth. So it is important for us to rise to the occasion. Once we rise up to that occasion, it can reduce on gradual basis.

At some points in your life, you may have experienced violence in one form or the other which you may want to share?

Violence is not a good thing, I keep saying it. I experienced the killing and maiming of people during the June 12, 1993 crisis and I pray it never happens again. I had to walk more than 20 kilometres, it was actually God that saved

me that day. It was really bad.

People got so frustrated, they were burning houses and burning people alive, I pray never to experience such a thing again. The entire Western Nigeria was on fire, nothing was working, and everything became grounded. And that was as a result of frustration, the frustration got to the peak. So, something must have pushed the youths to that level of violence. But you cannot blackmail a nation or hold a nation to ransom, if such is done, it then becomes a national security issue. And national security comes first.

It is important because that is the essence of a nation and it is a growing concern. That is what actually makes government to bend over backwards to now readjust and say `we will negotiate'. They don’t want to negotiate but sometimes the hands of government are tied to negotiate. But we, the youths, should we be known for that?

Should we have that kind of name forever? I don’t think it is right. We should come together at some point, some of our leaders now played important roles in governance when they were in that age bracket. Some of them were governors, we have seen one who became the President as a youth and he is still alive, we have seen a lot of them who were in the parliament between late 20s and early 30s. So what are our youths doing? I will keep talking about it, because I am very passionate about it, as I have actually built a big capacity that can actually assist the youths. The youths can do many things other than violence. The chair that I am sitting on now was actually made by some youths. That is why I am building good followership among the youths so that we can work together. I am not in government, I am just a monarch but I am using my platform to encourage youths to quit violence. I am a living example of the saying that charity begins at home. My crown is made in Nigeria , most of the things I use are made in Nigeria. My policy is that the minimum of 60 -70 percent of what I wear should be made in Nigeria. Unfortunately, my wristwatch is not made in Nigeria but we will get there.

This is a youth programme and the audience will be interested in the kind of music that appeals to you?

(Prolonged laughter) Made in Nigeria music. Like I said earlier on, charity begins at home. We are very talented in this country, Nigerians sing very good music even in Africa.

We are very talented people. I have a lot of them actually. I like King Sunny Ade, Ebenezer Obey, I like old school music, the very old school music that is full of wisdom. I listen to them a lot because I learn from them. And the music of this generation, interestingly, I like the guy that sang Double Wahala for Dead Bodi, Oritse Femi because his music makes sense but people don’t really listen to whatever he says, they jsut listen to the beats. But if you listen to his music deeply, it makes a lot of sense.

SUNDAY Vanguard, MAY 15, 2016, PAGE 19

Ooni Ogunwusi’s bold moves, the

Alaafin, the Awujale and the Modakekes

•Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi

By Rotimi Mikail Makinde

F

or a fact, the centrality of the traditional institutions, with the Obaship at the apex, is of profound importance in Yorubaland, not just in Ife. The Yorubas revere the institutions and the mixture of tradition as well as democratic checks and balances.

Retrospectively, precisely in the First Republic, in the crucial transition from colonial society to flag-off independence, the institutions were immersed, in the head long drive towards modernization. Unlike in the Northern Region, indirect rule was not used in the western part of the country. Some of the Obas clearly stood firm. For example, the first Governor of the Western Region, the then Ooni of Ife, Oba Adesoji Aderemi; the then Alake of Egbaland, the Olowo of Owo, played prominent roles at a critical juncture. Their contributions are still remembered with gratitude and quite rightly too.

Those were some of the legacies of these great traditional rulers who manned the affairs of the Yoruba race gloriously.

However, and to my amazement, the new Ooni of Ife, Oba Eni¬tan Ogunwusi Ojaja II, has been seen to be matching his words with action. This he has been doing since his coronation on December 7, 2015 where he told the world C M Y K

•Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona

during the epic event that he would pursue peace with all he can and ensure that peace, which had eluded the House of Oduduwa, is restored.

While validating this strong will, he shocked not a few people when he appeared at the Modakeke Day, popularly known as Akoraye Day, last Saturday of 2015, in Moda¬keke, the neighbouring community with which Ile-Ife has been engaged in perennial war of attrition over the years. The whole world saluted him for bringing panache to traditional matters and damning the consequence.

Hardly had the comments on his visit to Modakeke fizzled out that he showed up at the 45th anniversary of the coro¬nation of the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi III. The last time such a thing happened was in 1937, when Yoruba monarchs gathered in the ancient town. No one thought that could happen again following the alterca¬tion that took place between the Alaafin and the immediate past Ooni, Oba Okunade Siju¬wade (of blessed memory), who joined his ancestors in July last year.

To many, that had foreclosed any slight possibility of Oyo Empire

reuniting with the source of the Yoruba race. But the unassuming Ooni Ogun¬wusi is cleverly making mincemeat of many man-made encum¬brances that had limited interactions between the throne of Oduduwa and his children across the continent.

Just as his name, Enitan (man of history) portends, Ooni Ogunwusi made another history when he visited the para¬mount ruler of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona. This historic occasion also evoked nostalgia as it did in 1941.

The meeting was equally aimed at promoting unity among Yo¬ruba monarchs. I was deeply impressed when he called for a replication of the kind of unity and cooperation that existed among traditional rulers in Yorubaland up till 1941.

The uniqueness of Oba Ogunwusi did not end there.

This cerebral monarch has the call to serve, he has listening ears. He appears to have teachers within the ‘Irunmoles’ ; judging from the manner at which he talks about history as it was, back then. Impressively, the Police Area Commander of the great city attested to the fact that upon his ascending the throne, crime rates have

reduced drastically. No more molestation within the city by teeming jobless and restive youths, they are now mostly in farms or at various developmental project centres that are springing up in the ancient city, which include the Ooni’s resort centre along Ibadan Road and about-to-be-opened Oodua FM in Ife. Widows are not left out.

Thousands of women who lost their husbands and children to the inglorious war in Ife and environs now troop in daily to Ooni’s magnificent palace, which is now significantly at par with Queen’s Buckingham Palace, London. The see-through palace has now become a tourist centre.

Oba Ogunwusi facilitated mining license and insisted that Ife sits comfortably on treasures that can create wealth for Nigeria apart from agriculture and crude oil. The manner at which he encourages his subjects to go into farming is unprecedented in Ife. Virtually all tourist centres in Ile-Ife wear a new look with high yields of economic values. I make bold to say Ile-Ife of today is an investment hub. Permit me to conclude by saying this quintessential leader needs our support and prayers because the best in him is yet to be seen in Africa. Kaabiyesi o, ki ade pe lori, ki bata pe lese, kase pe lenu, ki irukere di okini. * Makinde is based in Ile-Ife, Osun State

PAGE 20— SUNDAY Vanguard, MAY 15, 2016

Whoever sits on the Ooni throne is Yoruba father

– Oba Aladelusi, the Deji of Akure

By Bashir Adefaka

D

eji of Akure, Oba Aladetoyinbo Ogunlade Aladelusi, is facilitating the development of the ancient city. Recently, he visited Akure National Union in Ibadan where he met with Akure sons and daughters and invited them to come and develop their ancestral home. Aladelusi, a United States-based industrialist until his ascension to the throne, hosted Sunday Vanguard in his palace at Erekeson in the Ondo State capital, during which he opened up on the ranking of monarchs in Yorubaland.

Excerpts: On a lighter mood, one would like to say that you look handsome and healthy. Hope this look won’t put you in the challenge of women wanting to become new oloris?

(Laughs) No. It is by the grace of God that I look handsome. If you live according to your doctor’s advice, you will look good and live long, by God’s grace. Again, I don’t have the challenge of women because the olori too is beautiful, to me. I love her and I don’t thnk anybody will be more beautiful than what I have now.

But the Ooni of Ife has just taken new wife...?

If time comes that I should have another one, may be.... But right now I am not thinking of having another woman (laughs).

Odia Ofeimun’s postulation that a people without history cannot be called proper people continues to come to mind, which makes our history an imperative to know and live by. Amidst the ongoing controversy about who the Oduduwa children are, where exactly is Akure coming from?

First, before going to where Akure came from, let me touch this. When you came, we started speaking Akure dialect together. Nowadays, it has become our character to adopt the foreign culture at the expense of our own culture. If you see any of the little children now from this town, they can’t speak even Yoruba language not to talk of the Akure dialect. All they speak is English. If you go to Igbo, while they speak Igbo language, they speak their dialects, yet they speak English fluently. When we were being brought up, we might not speak English as fluent as children of nowadays, but we were still trying. I started learning English from primary four because we were taught with the mother tongue (Yoruba) from primary one to three when we learnt Yoruba alphabets A, B, D, E, E F, G, GB and so on and so forth.

But we still managed to cope with the foreign language. So, we should teach our children our culture so that they don’t forget it.

Now, back to your question about where Akure came from, my belief is that we all came from Ile-Ife. So, whosoever sits on that throne in Ife, be he Adele (regent) or the Ooni, we accord him the respect of the seat of Oduduwa.

Whosoever sits on that seat should be the father of the Yoruba race.

Like the Sultan of Sokoto, who is the father of northern Nigeria, we should have somebody to represent us. Failure to have that, there won’t be unity among the Yoruba people, especially in the South-West.

•Oba Aladelusi ... We should respect the seat of Oduduwa We have heard of the children of Oduduwa and how they scattered to become kings in different towns and villages that are today cities. We heard of Ekun and the link with Akure.

How did it happen?

Ekun was Oduduwa’s direct son. He gave birth to Asodeboyede and it was Asodeboyede, grandson of Oduduwa, that came here, and not Ekun his father. Asodeboyede came to a place where his beeds (Akun) cut (re) and that was how we discovered ourname, Akunre, that is the point where his beats got cut. In the olden days, anything you do becomes history. The ‘Akunre’ had undergone some linguistic restructuring to now become ‘Akure’ with the ‘n’ letter removed from it.

You were based in the United States and must have seen how the white people take care of their culture.

Coming home now as the Deji of Akure, where do you plan to take Akure to, using that exposure?

I want to take Akure to the highest level and so, I want Akure people to unite and have one voice because, in Ondo State, we are the most populated.

I don’t want to talk about politics. I want Akure people to have one voice so that we will be able to get whatever we want, with the help of God. But if we fail to have one voice and all we do is pull each other down, we would get nowhere.

That is what is happening now that hardly you can see an Akure indigene having big business at home or being in government. Akure has never been minister since the time of Chief Olu Falae some 40 years ago and this is the capital city. It can’t happen in Ibadan. When Ibadan speaks, the rest of Oyo State listens and so wherever Ibadan goes, the rest will just follow.

So, we want to make it happen by repositioning Akure, just like Ibadan,

for the rest of Ondo State, during my reign.

I agree because Ibadan alone has 11 local governments while the remaining local governments in Oyo State are shared among Oke Ogun, Oyo and Ogbomoso.

When it comes to general elections you will know that Akure is more than 10 local governments.

Could you shed more light?

Akure Division comprises of four local governments. They are, Idanre, Ifedore, Akure South and Akure North. So, if we can pull our weight, we get to wherever we want to go.

Your counterpart in Achalla Kingdom of Anambra State, Igwe Alex Nwokedi, has clamoured much for constitutional role for traditional rulers. Why do you think monarchs are not active in administration of state, if you don’t share his mindset?

Those who wrote the Constitution didn’t take traditional rulers into consideration and so we don’t have a role in the Constitution. We are just like ordinary citizens.

Do you want to have a constitutional role?

We should have a role in the Constitution.

Like what?

Okay, like in Great Britain, traditional rulers should be the Chairmen of local governments. There can be the executive secretary or whatever it will be called, but we should be the Chairmen of Local Governments in our respective domains and that should be included in the Constitution. As it is presently, if I want to travel, I must get permission from the Chairman of my local government.

(Cuts in) Whereas the monarch is supposed to give order to the Chairman And if you go to any gathering, they will recognise people, from the President to the governor and even the councillor before they recognise any traditional ruler.

If you want to fight for the throne, you should come to Ife and fight for it. You can’t be fighting for that throne outside, whereas the seat is in Ife

They relegate us because we are not in the Constitution. What they call five percent allocation, they now barely give us one percent. We don’t want any budget per say, but they should recognise us as part of government. We are the voice of the people. Our people see us before they see the people in government. If I go to that market now and say this is where we are going, they will listen to me before they listen to the governor.

I know their problem and I am there for them for so long I am on the throne.

If you are called upon to settle the dispute among the Yoruba Obas, what would you do?

I would ask that whosoever wants to sit on the throne, let him come and contest for it in Ife. So, if you say you are superior to the Ooni, come to Ife now contest for the seat. If you cannot do that, whosoever sits on that seat we should embrace him because whosoever sits on the seat, we see him as Oduduwa.

Where I am sitting now as Deji of Akure is the seat of Asodeboyede, son of Ekun, son of Oduduwa. They should see me as Asodeboyede and respect me as such.

You seem to agree with the Olowu of Owu, Abeokuta, known to be the Akobi Oduduwa, about the fact that although Ooni was not Oduduwa’s son but that, as a loyal friend of Oduduwa, he saved the Yoruba heritage by ascending on the throne since no Oduduwa’s son was around to take responsibility?

That is what I am saying that whosoever sits on that throne, we should respect him. If you want to fight for the Oduduwa’s throne, you must come to Ife and vie for it.

I was in the United States when I was fighting for this throne (of Deji). I didn’t say that I would be king in the US. According to history, all the children of Oduduwa were not around when he died and the head of the guards took over. That was why they called him Arole Oduduwa. That was why Alaafin and all those Oduduwa’s sons don’t want to recognise him (Ooni). But he is sitting on the throne of their father and so they should respect the throne even if they don’t want to respect the person sitting on it.

If you want to fight for the throne, you should come to Ife and fight for it. You can’t be fighting for that throne outside, whereas the seat is in Ife. Where do you stand on the issue of Yoruba leadership?

Nothing else should be our stand than to accept that Ooni is the father of the Yoruba race, since we all believe we came from Ife. You came in now from Lagos but you are a native of Akure. That is why you will like me more than the Oba of Lagos, despite the fact that you work there in his domain of Lagos. That is the thing.

We should respect the seat of Oduduwa that the Ooni sits on because that is where we came from.

Let us look at festivals in Akure.

How many are they?

They are many. Once we start around April, it will be every week: Ikunle, Odun Ijesu (yam festival), Odun Amole, Odun Airegbe. From April, I won’t be able to eat yam until we have new yam around September.

We still believe in the culture and we uphold it. We try to incorporate Oyemekun Day to make it elaborate this year like the Ojude Oba in Ijebu Ode, and we are looking for sponsors and all the sons and daughters of Akure should come and support it.

Akure is a big place so much so that it is becoming the third largest in the South-West. After you have picked Lagos and Ibadan, the next is Akure.

We are expanding everyday and this place is peaceful. If not because of power shortage, we would have had a lot of industries but they run away from Akure because of lack of power supply.

SUNDAY Vanguard, MAY 15, 2016, PAGE 21

BY SOLA OGUNDIPE “YABA apa osi” (Yaba on the left or Yaba left) is a tag commonly attributed to the Federal-Neuro Psychiatric Hospital, Yaba, Lagos, due to its location on the left side of the popular Yaba Bus Stop on Lagos Mainland.

Although the tag is meant to be derogatory, in reality, the left side of Yaba is relatively peaceful unlike the usually chaotic “Yaba apa otun” (Yaba on the right or Yaba right).

While the left side of Yaba is organised, serene, calm and relatively safe, the right side is disorganised, noisy, confused and rife with anxiety, violence and criminal activity. The left side can easily be described as the healthy side of Yaba, because of the presence of the medical compound that houses a number of national health institutions.

It is on this comparatively serene, peaceful, and healthy side of Yaba that the renowned Federal NeuroPsychiatric Hospital, FNPH, occupies.

The 100-year-old health institution has obtained global relevance as a place where people with mental health challenges go to seek help and find it.

As one steps into the expansive premises of the famous hospital, there is little to betray the fact that this is a place where people with mental problems are looked after. There is no exhibition of manic behaviour or zombie-like apparitions running around the tidy compound that exudes a hospitable ambience. The lawns are neat, buildings freshly painted and flower hedges welltrimmed. The workers are very polite, as they welcome patients into the emergency and admission wards.

The hospital recently commenced 24-hour services at the outpatient centre in Oshodi, while a new, ultramodern emergency unit is completed and ready for commissioning. The entire hospital is wearing a new look. There are new mattresses, pillows, ceiling fans, freezers, lawn mowers, and even new buildings. The Schools of Post Basic Psychiatry and Mental Health Nursing are being rehabilitated and nearing completion.

Besides treatment, FNPH is improving facilities and focusing on preventive and mental health. It boasts of a well equipped Clinical Psychology Department where many sub-specializations are obtainable and the Child Adolescent Centre Annex in Oshodi is set to become an institute in future.

So what is it really like inside as a patient in this century-old psychiatric health institution? Sunday Vanguard found that it’s quite straightforward.

Once a patient has been properly diagnosed and referred, it doesn’t usually take a long time to find effective treatment. There could be a delay, not because there are no suitable facilities, staff and equipment, but often because of the aversion or fear many patients have about being admitted into a mental hospital.

The average patient wouldn’t readily go to a mental health institution. Sunday Vanguard witnessed an instance during which a young man diagnosed with depression and suicidal tendencies said that he would rather die than go C M Y K

INSIDE YABA PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL:

More than a last bus stop for the mentally-ill •Families abandon 50 ‘psycho’ patients to ‘one of those places’ (psychiatric hospital). It took patience and persuasion to get him into the hospital.

Mental hospitals, or psychiatric wards, do offer range of services from the basic to more sophisticated types of therapies and treatment. Some are designed for shorter term stays, while others, like FNPH, are able to handle longer stays.

Patients are usually brought into FNPH by their relatives, the police or other concerned parties. Admission usually takes place in the emergency department from where the patient is moved to the ward. Later or the next day, the patient’s overall health is assessed. Basic tests like blood pressure, pulse, body temperature, etc., are taken. Group and art therapy are in the offing. Medications are strictly dispensed and adherence to treatment closely monitored by nurses.

Abandoned patients Contrary to popular perception, it’s not true that all patients in mental health institutions are locked up in padded rooms or put in strait jackets.

There are several non-locked wards and patients move freely around to interact with each other and with the staff.

But even as straightforward as the admission process is, Sunday Vanguard gathered that cases of abandonment are common and, over the years, countless cases of abandoned patients have been recorded at the FNPH. Currently, there are more than 50 abandoned patients in the hospital. Some were brought in by their families and then abandoned for good, others were found wandering on streets and

Among the abandoned are young people that have been patients for more than a decade. There are those that have spent their youthful years in the facility and grown to old age. There are also elderly people who were admitted as youngsters and are now in their 70s

brought in by the police.

Among the abandoned are young people that have been patients for more than a decade. There are those that have spent their youthful years in the facility and grown to old age.

There are also elderly people who were admitted as youngsters and are now in their 70s. People that have spent their entire lives as psychiatric patients live in the hospital. The hospital has become their permanent home. Their welfare is left entirely to the hospital staff who care for them, feed them, and ensure they take their medicines.

When such patients come down with other health problems such as hypertension, diabetes, malaria and the like, it is the hospital staff that take them to the General Hospital or the nearest health centre for treatment. When they die, the responsibility of burying them

rests with the hospital. Occasionally, Good Samaritans come around to donate drugs or provide clothing materials, but the overall task of taking care of the abandoned patients rests entirely on the shoulders of the hospital.

Some of these patients were picked up by law enforcement agents and then abandoned, but due to the severity of their mental disorder, most have not recovered enough to trace their roots. Some were brought in by their family members and, after a while, abandoned. Apparently, such family members are not ready to be associated with their mentally ill relatives, and, as a result, become untraceable. They drop wrong addresses, and even when they drop correct addresses, they have often relocated without leaving forwarding addresses.

Many relatives feel pushed to the wall and are tired of the burden of caring.

Sunday Vanguard gathered that the FNPH has witnessed instances in which some family members request for an injection that could be administered on their “sick” family member, so that the person just dies off. But the hospital usually declines and replies that there is nothing like that. Such requests are extreme, of course and perhaps borne out of frustration.

In some instances when the abandoned patients recover to a certain degree and are able to give information about where they hail from, staff of the hospital liaise with social welfare workers in sister hospitals to see if the families could be traced. In a few cases, this has been done, but, as a result of the chronic nature of the mental illness, many abandoned patients have not been out of the woods enough to give enough information about their roots. For those that have recovered well enough, the hospital engages them in its rehabilitation programme such as occupational therapy, allowing them to acquire skills and live a life that can be productive outside the walls of the psychiatric hospital.

PAGE 22, SUNDAY Vanguard, MAY 15, 2016

T

he Federal Neuro Psychiatric Hospital, Yaba has metamorphosed from a lunatic asylum at a disused railway place that it was in 1907, where people with mental issues were kept away from the public. Over the years, the health institution has transformed into a modern mental health facility with several associated institutions, and has become the largest and most sophisticated mental health institution in West Africa.

Today, the FNPH is a 500plus bedded mental health facility, that is training doctors at graduate and post graduate levels. It is internationally certified for residency training for psychiatry and is an examination centre for the National Post Graduate Medical College of Nigeria in the field of psychiatry. It has trained countless mental health experts over the years, and has a robust Department of Psychology where clinical psychologists are trained.

In this interview, the Acting Medical Director, FNPH, Dr. Richard Ademola Adebayo, a Consultant Psychiatrist Special Grade I, gives insight into the pains and gains of the management, treatment and care of the mentally ill at the famous health care institution.

Excerpts: Mental disorders in Nigeria There are so many types of mental disorders, some of which are more prevalent in males than females, or vice versa or are equal in prevalence. For mood-related disorders, the commonest is depression. There are twice as many females affected by depression as males.

For substance use disorders or the use of psychoactive substances like cocaine, cannabis, heroin, alcohol, etc., males are more predominant than females. But if you are looking at major psychotic disorders like schizophrenia, the gender prevalence is the same. This disorder, where it is found, affects one tenth of the population. At least, 25 percent of the population will have depression at one time or the other of their lifetime, so, mood disorders affect more people and more females. When it comes to the severity of psychiatric disorders, schizophrenia is more severe than mood disorder.

Depression : Majority of people that suffer depression will not be seen in a psychiatric hospital like the Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Yaba, because it has variation. There is the mild, moderate and severe. The people that are seen at the Yaba Psychiatric Hospital are more likely going to be people with severe form of depression.

The mild to moderate forms will be more likely be seen by a general practitioner at a General Hospital.

Sleep disorder: Sleep disorder is also a very big area and majority of those suffering from it will not end up in the psychiatric hospital. They would have seen a general practitioner somewhere that would have prescribed a sleepinducing pill and most do cope. It is not a real psychiatric case and most cases we see are not severe. Even the gender issue is not clear-cut. Studies show that those that suffer sleep deprivation may likely go into the realm of dementia later on in life.

Prevention is simple. Take time to rest.

Practice sleep hygiene, control your blood pressure to prevent vascular dementia which is common in people that are C M Y K

Patients we see are most likely to have severe depression

– Adebayo, Acting Medical Director, FNPH

•Says Nollywood actors’ depiction of the mentally-ill damaging peoples’ psyche •The role of the Church in managing psychiatry cases? family, but there are some controllable factors. For instance, doing things that can improve your memory, playing games, taking time to rest, limiting stress, be careful with your diet and your cognitive functioning.

It is shameful that sometimes we have to admit an 80-yr-old frail looking citizen with a 20year-old that is bursting with energy, shoving aside the old.

It is necessary that we have wards that can take care of the elderly citizens just as we have for the child adolescents hypertensive or have cardiovascular disorders. If all these can be curbed, we can reduce the risk of dementia.

Dementia: Dementia is common among the senior citizens, while disorders such as Alzheimer’s disorder are more common in females than males. As people age in their 70s and 80s, we tend to see more females surviving. The reason is obvious - females live longer than males. The problems of life would have killed more men through stroke and hypertension. More females tend to live up to a ripe old age than males, so you would expect the disorder to be more.

Alzheimer’s dementia is one of the commonest. To some extent, it is preventable; I can liken it to hypertension where there are some risk factors that cannot be controlled and those that can be modified. Dementia can run in the

Others: Mental disorders affect children, teenagers, adults, the middleaged and the aged. In young adults, aged 18-30, majority we see here would suffer mood-related disorders, especially in a depressed economy like Nigeria. Most mood-related disorders, like panic attacks and depressive disorders. are the commonest. In this environment, teenagers and young adults, in their late 30s that are abusing substances like cannabis, are many. Others with behavioural disorders, especially the young males, are very common.

Childhood-related disorders are also significant. For instance, autism and hyperactivity disorders are hereditary.

Some may arise from problems when the woman was pregnant and the child was born with it. Overall, the mood-related disorders are the commonest, among which those with depression are the overwhelming majority.

Increasing burden of mental disorders This is a federal hospital, and the financial muscle is getting weaker from Abuja. That is a sign of the times we are in and these our friends understand that we cannot leave mental health in the hands of government alone. We are pleading with corporate organisation and individuals to be part of what we are doing in order to have very strong and modern functional mental health facilities in Lagos and beyond. There are people from all over the country in this hospital. The load is getting bigger because people now see they can get help

here and are actually the advocates, so we need to beef up our services: Constraints There are constraints of financing, manpower, decaying infrastructure among others. This hospital is over 100 years old and there is need to upgrade some of the structures. We need to have a dedicated Geriatric Ward. It is shameful that sometimes we have to admit an 80yr-old frail looking citizen with a 20-yearold that is bursting with energy, shoving aside the old. It is necessary that we have wards that can take care of the elderly citizens just as we have for the child adolescents. Someone, out of the desire to help mankind, donated a complex structure of over N100 million in the annex in the Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Cntre. We need individuals and corporate entities to donate Geriatric Centres. We need a place to work and things to work with.

Diagnosis & treatment Mental illness cuts across every tribe and profession and does not respect anybody. There are pastors, medical doctors, politicians, engineers, lawyers with mental disorder, and they are doing well with treatment. No one is exempted.

Every day we see new patients. These were people that were well yesterday, so those who feel they would have nothing to do with mental hospitals should realise tha,t as a result of adversities of life, or life events that nobody can predict occur, they could find themselves coming down and making use of our facilities. So, we should understand that mental disorder is in different dimensions and categories and types, and we should be very careful with our lifestyles in order to ensure we

Continues on page 23

SUNDAY Vanguard, MAY 15, 2016, PAGE 23

‘The rrole ole of the Chur Churcch in managing psy psycchiatric cases’ kicked out of their rented apartments because they have relations living with mental illness. Some have lost their jobs in the cause of caring for their mentally ill relatives who require attention. The finances, time and other resources are enormous, so out of frustration, they, sometimes, abandon the patients.

Continued from page 22

don’t come down with a mental disorder.

Majority of mental illnesses are lifelong just like hypertension. When you think about mental disorder, its like thinking about hypertension.

Once diagnosed, you need to be on treatment. A lot of mental illnesses have a long course of treatment, but the caregivers are doing their best, majority of our patients would do well and you may find it difficult to know that they once had mental illness. For some of those here, you would not believe they are patients. However, once patients are left on their own, they are ostracised and stigmatised and their mental disorder becomes more chronic and it is the society that will suffer for it on the long run.

When we abandon them, it is to our own detriment.

Delay is dangerous A lot of people have delayed the process of treatment due to religious reasons and because of their belief about the cause of mental disorder.

Invariably, the families spend more in those places where they go for deliverance, exorcism, sacrifice, etc., than what they would spend in the hospital.

The greatest danger is that the illness becomes chronic if not treated on time and chances of recovery would be slow.

The earlier you pick someone with mental disorder, the earlier you refer the person to appropriate places , the earlier diagnosis is made and treatment commences, the better the outcome and the chances that the person would recover better and become useful to society. The longer the delay, due to stigma, ignorance, etc., the worse for the individual, family and nation. People that have need of mental health should be brought to hospital on time.

It may not be FNPH - there are psychiatric units at the teaching hospitals and General Hospitals. Those referred to Yaba should not shy away but come on time. Sometimes, all that may just be needed could be psychological intervention. We see patients that we don’t have to give any injection or drug and all they need is just psychotherapy, psychological intervention, or psychosocial intervention. We have patients that do not have to be on medication for so long.

Common occurrence Abandonment of patients is a common occurrence in the hospital. We do not go out to pick patients from the refuse dump or under the bridges, but it is some “Good Samaritans” that bring patients here and, after a short while, abscond. We have seen patients dumped here by the police. Family members also abandon their relatives. We are currently having more than 50 abandoned patients here. We do not reject patients unless our bed capacity is filled up, so when such patients are brought in, no one has an idea they would be abandoned. Initially the relatives pay the deposit for these patients, but thereafter when we try to trace them, we cannot find them. And when that happens, are we going to

C M Y K

The Church is playing a very significant role in trying to partner with us to help our patients and, as they call it, Christian social responsibility. No exorcism or deliverance is allowed

throw such patients onto the streets of Yaba to be knocked down by vehicles?

No. For instance, we currently have a patient that was brought in from under the Obalende bridge. She is from the eastern part of the country and has been with us for five years. The Police picked her up, brought her to the hospital and abandoned her. She has not really been able to reliably tell us about her roots. We have a few clues but we have not been able to verify anything . We are trying to be very careful who we release our patients to because they are vulnerable.

In the developed world, the government has a soft landing for people with mental ailments and they are not institutionalised. Unfortunately so many psychiatric patients in this environment have been institutionalised, because they have been kept in hospital for so long that living outside the setting will be very difficult for some of them.

Don’t discriminate When people have to come here, we need to protect them. They are human beings and citizens of the country. We do not allow anyone to take advantage of them. The problem of stigma is significant, but essentially a number of the relatives of the patients are tired. The reason could be that the burden of care is too much for them. We have seen people

Stop the stigmatisation We should be our brothers’ keepers and move away from using derogatory words like mad, crazy, lunatic, etc. Stop the stigma, abandonment, labelling and name-calling. The developed world has moved on from all these. In those places, people with mental illness are helped, and not labelled. So, we should stop labelling our own people. Nollywood actors and players should also know that they are doing a lot of damage to the psyche of people by labelling everybody having mental disorder in their films as being diabolical or whatever.

We should look at areas that will help by putting up films that will show that mentally ill people can get out of their problems, rather than attaching all kinds of obnoxious causes and unfounded spirituality or demons to mental disorder.

We want people to realise that mental health is global; even when there are beliefs that the cause may not be ordinary, the patient can still be helped in hospital.

Patients can go for prayers if that will not aggravate their condition. It is useful to pray but not in a situation where unfounded things, fear and abuse are attached.

Research & training We are looking at sleep medicine, and this is novel in Nigeria. We have delved into it and someone has gone for training in Canada. We are going to have a sleep lab and the treatment centre is to be fully inaugurated soon. There is an ongoing collaboration with a centre in the University of Maryland in Baltimore, involving a four-year research; genetic study in schizophrenia, the first of its kind in sub-Sahara Africa. Research and training and services are core areas here.

We are laying emphasis on skill acquisition and development, UNODC partnership for those in the mental health field and medical ethics to protect patient rights. We believe that if you don’t train, don’t blame; staff should be updated in medical ethics.

Public enlightenment We have large population trooping here but, despite the wealth of information, there are still many that are not well informed. We have been involved in regular media enlightenment over the past five years. We go to places like Oshodi , Mushin Motor Parks to enlighten people, once in a while, about the causes of mental illness and the treatment. We have a unit that goes to the communities. We explain that, as a landlord, you should not be so insensitive as to eject your tenant because he or she is a psychiatric patient. As an employer, do not sack your staff because they have mental illness. If they are doing well, do not eject or sack them. Sometimes, we go to schools to enlighten teachers and students. There are some forms of mental disorders common with the student population; we are trying to engage Nollywood to make them more involved in carrying out the proper message on mental health. We are taking mental illness message to the communities.

Role of the Church The Church is playing a very significant role in trying to partner with us to help our patients and, as they call it, Christian social responsibility. No exorcism or deliverance is allowed. Only normal services of worship, praise singing and prayers are allowed, and then they go to rest. It is not that somebody would come around and be putting anointing oil on their heads or anything like that. We do not allow that. Spiritual well-being is also part of the definition of health, but there is a difference between religiosity and spirituality. You can be religious without being necessarily spiritual. Spirituality can be difficult to see from outside. It is your own strong attributes about whom you believe in. The outward expression of faith is a mere religious thing. Women are more emotional and religious, but spirituality, it is only God that knows. I’d rather say women are more religious than men, and not more spiritual.

Breaking the silence

Peradventure that you do have somebody with a mental illness, it should no longer be shrouded in mystery or in secrecy. People that have need of mental health experts should not shy away or allow stigma to be a barrier. They should not banish such people into the village or into one room and lock them up.

There is mental disorder that can be managed and the patient will get well. Some may need to be on medication for a long time and even for the rest of their lives. There are also those that do not need to be on medication. If you have any patient in that category, or you have a neighbour, please show them the way. Let them come to hospital on time and commence treatment on time.

Everyone has a role There is no health without mental health. Health isn’t complete without mental health. Mental disorder can be managed and treated. Let’s all be positive change, to impact on the lives of others in mental health. You can sponsor someone for treatment as part of your own contribution to humanity.

Help people instead of allowing them to wallow on refuse heaps or directing traffic abnormally and endangering their lives and those of others. They can be helped.

PAGE 24—SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY 15, 2016

BY BILESANMI OLALEKAN

L

ast week, the First Lady of Ogun State, Mrs Olufunsho Amosun, clocked 50. In this interview, conducted at the Government House, Abeokuta, she explains why, as a staunch Christian with a bishop as a father, she is married to a Muslim even as she shares the memorable moments of her over 25 years marriage to Governor Ibikunle Amosun.

What don’t you like about being a governor’s wife?

Well, I would’ve said that I don’t like not being able to be myself, but I am myself. I would’ve said I don’t like the fact that I always have a large crowd around me – in terms of having people around me, but maybe, being in second term, the people around me have come to understand that I’m my own person and that they can’t always follow me around, even if it’s their duty. So, I think now, I like being the wife of the governor, especially because, to the glory of God, and I say this with all sense of responsibility, my husband has done a good job as governor and I feel proud to raise my head up high that I’m his wife. With the on-goings in Nigeria now and without being particular or putting any focus on anybody, I mean, sometimes when you are in this privileged position; it could be due to circumstances or whatever, you don’t deliver what the people expect of you. But I make bold to say that to the best of my husband’s ability, he has fulfilled his promises and I feel proud and that makes me happy to say that I am his wife.

How do you feel at 50, even when you look much more younger than that age?

I will take that as a compliment.

Thank you very much, and I will give all glory for that to God. But yes, I have the birth certificate. I am 50 (laughter).

What’s going to change about you now that you are 50?

I think when you attain that age, you become more reflective, you realize that you are privileged to attain the golden age and I guess that things that might have been so unimportant to you start becoming important – like the issue of health. I don’t think I’m there yet, to be honest.

I mean, I haven’t really started worrying about, okay, maybe physical strength and things like that. But you are just sort of becoming more reflective, realizing that, okay, this is the second half, by God’s grace. That is the only aspect that I can think of. Not that I’ve really processed it or maybe I haven’t attained it yet. It’s still forthcoming. But to really be honest, I just know that I’m thankful to God, reflecting on where I am, the grace that He has given me, the opportunities, the privilege of good health and things like that. I’m just more thankful as I realize maybe looking at some peers; realizing their situations and where I am now. God has been kind to me.

Even in terms of husband, lovely children, I mean, I can’t stop counting my blessings. So, I’m just thankful.

What are some of the things you share in common with your husband?

After 25 years, I think the question should be what are the C M Y

OLUFUNSO AMOSUN, OGUN FIRST LADY, AT 50

always ask – ‘Aren’t you fed up with just wearing the same style?’ Again, that just shows the kind of person he is – he’s consistent. Once he’s comfortable with something, and once he believes in something, he sticks to it.

I like reaching out to the vulnerable •’How my bishop-father endorsed my marriage to Muslim-husband’ things we don’t share in common? (laughter). However, I have found that the opposite seems to attract and so, where he’s a hands-on people person, and he wouldn’t mind jumping into a crowd and just taking people on by way of speaking to them, I sort of do it by delegating.

Like through lots of my UPLIFT (Understanding People’s Limiting and Inhibiting Factors Today) programmes, I kind of…but let me take it from the softer aspect – Spouses of Ogun State Government Functionary Association, I have come to realize that sometimes members of the association might want to bring things to my attention, but might be a bit reluctant about it.

However, I found out that sometimes they find it a bit more easier to speak to my second in command. So, even though I reach out to people and I impact positively on them, I am in my opinion approachable, I tend to work with people by allowing them to find whichever avenue is comfortable for them to reach me and to feed them back as opposed to me jumping up and saying, ‘Ok, you can walk through my door’. Well, I will say my door is open, I say you can send me a message; anybody who knows me know that I’m not very good with picking phone calls. So, I said, ‘Ok, if you want to reach me, you can send me a message’; that I will respond that way. Like recently, we had a meeting and I said I have a suggestion box that if you want to send any message or get any message across to me, you don’t necessarily have to write your name; that I will hold the key of the suggestion box. So, feel free to write anything; that I need to know what’s going on in your mind. I understand that people might not be able to tell me to my face; I however want to know the true position of what is going on in their minds. So, that’s another way that I sort of reach out to people. I’m like an open door, but I have other avenues through which you can reach me such that you can be honest with me without holding back Could you please just give us a brief flashback on your growing up years, etc?

I guess I will flash back to the beginning of marriage years…

Before marriage?

Okay! So, do you want me to run a documentary on my whole life? (general laughter). I was born on the 2nd of May, 1966 to a humble family of Bishop Michael Ayoade Odesanya and Elder Olushola Odesanya. I did half of my primary school education in the United Kingdom

•Mrs Olufunsho Amosun

I think his cap changed somewhere around 2001, and it was just a kind of identity which people sort of like took to and I believe that the most minimum relevance I could give to it is like pre-2001 when he will tell me jokes about MK Naira – that’s how Baba’s cap (the late MKO Abiola) used to be (at James Norland School); I did the second half in Ayodele Nursery and Preparatory School, which was in Iyaganku, Ibadan and then I went up to Yejide Girls Grammar School. I attended Oyo State School of Arts and Science and then I went to University of Ife, now Obafemi Awolowo University, where I studied English Education, and then I fell in love! (laughter). I met His Excellency, who then owned an accounting firm, and I guess the rest is history. We have five wonderful children, who we are very proud of.

Is your husband really the local boy we think he is? Or is it all about packaging, compared to you who is sophisticated…?

Well, I think that’s a kind of funny as well as a complex question. However, everybody is entitled to his own opinion. My husband is the most loving, practical, responsible and handson person that anybody could ask for. And I think this is what transcends in the way that he goes about his duties and in loving the good people of Ogun State. I don’t want a man who is so sophisticated that he’s tuned out. My husband is in tune with reality. I don’t see him as a local person, I see him as a compassionate hands-on and responsible husband. I don’t see

myself as packaging him, I see him as packaging me. And like we said a while ago, they do say that opposites attract. So, maybe you can blame it on that if you see any difference in our dispositions. However, after 25 years, I don’t even see where the lines are anymore. I believe we are one and the same, we complement one another. Maybe we don’t always see eye to eye, however, we always reach a compromise. I don’t think we’ve ever slept on an argument, because he won’t let you anyway! Even if you are annoyed, even if he’s upset you, he will still speak to you. That just happens. So, I hope I’ve answered your question…

Can you share some of your memorable moments together?

Everyday! Everyday is different and I don’t know why – my husband is just so real. My husband will tell you,’ I don’t believe in flowers, I don’t believe in saying I love you’, but what do they say? Action speaks louder than voice.

Your husband’s unique cap, what’s your opinion on that and when was the first time you saw him wearing it. Also have you ever had cause to discuss it, maybe in the bedroom…?

It doesn’t have to be the bedroom (general laughter). The cap, I recall, emerged in the days of the Senate, I believe. So, that will put it to predate 2003. I think his cap changed somewhere around 2001, and it was just a kind of identity which people sort of like took to and I believe that the most minimum relevance I could give to it is like pre-2001 when he will tell me jokes about MK Naira – that’s how Baba’s cap (the late MKO Abiola) used to be. That is just the barest relevance I could give to it. Aside from that, it just became something that he was comfortable with and, if I were to say anything about it, I would always say, ‘Aren’t you fed up with wearing the same style?’

Because even if he’s on Buba and trousers, it’s the same style…So, I guess his tailor’s job is very simple (laughter). But I

Can we talk about your pet projects? And your contributions to the administration of Ogun State?

It’s to help the needy. Then the needy now falls into the category of a woman, a man, the physically-challenged person, a child…once an opportunity opens up to assist, then I go for it. And I try to; the best way I can. In that regard, I don’t have a pet project tailored to, ‘Oh, ok, I am just doing this. In anyway it manifests, anyway that I can complement what His E x c e l l e n c y ’ s administration is doing, anyway I can use the platform as the wife of the governor to improve or assist people that I can, then I just go for it. So, I don’t have a specific pet project. But if you were to say what is my pet project, even though I don’t have one, it is reaching out to the vulnerable. That category…

You are a Christian. Not just that, your parents are ministers of the gospel, yet you married a Muslim. How easy was it to convince your parents then?

The first person I told I wanted to get married to a Muslim was my mother. First, she burst into tears. And then she asked me whether I had told my dad and I said no and I could see that mischievous smile (laughter).

But, today, my mother and my husband are like the best of friends and, of course, I get my pound of flesh back sometimes when they are joking and she has forgotten! I will say, ‘Eh! Muslim lo fe fe’ (meaning, you want to marry a Muslim). And she will tell me ‘get away ’ (more laughter). You are just lucky!

Thank your God. So, that sort of worked itself out. When I told my dad, he said, ‘Ah, okay, well, we just have to pray about this one’.

But somehow, they hit it off very well. The thing about it is, my husband believes in God. My husband, I will say, is even more religious than me. He truly believes in God, he has faith in God that all things are possible and when you see somebody that is so committed and you see that based on his faith; not challenging God, but telling God that ‘I believe in you’ and you see time and time and time again those things manifesting… it started from me having faith in his faith. I have faith in his faith, God and that just made it so easy, because I could see that God did not fail him and I know that my husband doesn’t believe in anything else, except God. Was there any deliberate attempt to convert you to Islam?

Not really. But yes! I pray the Muslim way because we are a very close-knit family and, in the beginning, I will tell my children, ‘Oya, time to pray’. ‘But mummy how come you are not praying with us?’ ‘Does that mean daddy’s God is not a good God?’ My children will ask me.

And that was when I began to give it a thought. It didn’t take much time before I joined them.

The rest, as they say, is history.

SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY 15, 2016, PAGE 25

I have mandate to raise prosperous families — Rev. Dr Mercy Ezekiel

BY WALE AKINOLA

R

ev. Dr (Mrs) Mercy O. Ezekiel is a vibrant minister of God as shown in the top position she occupies in the Christian Pentecostal Mission (CPM) where her husband, Rev. Dr Obiorah Ezekiel, is General Overseer.

Unarguably one of the top flight women Pentecostal pastors you can find, she is the immediate past Deputy National President of the Pentecostal Federation of Nigeria (PFN), the umbrella organisation for Christians of Pentecostal hue in the country, and the only woman ever to have risen to such a top position among her colleagues. It is not for nothing that she is the National/ International Coordinator of the CPM, and also a member of the National Executive Council (NEC) of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) since 2009.

Seeing her mounting the pulpit to minister to the large congregation that worships at the CPM Cathedral, Lagos, the headquarters of the church, every Sunday, will convince even the doubting Thomas of her vibrancy and the rare knowledge of the word of God she is equipped with. But beyond these are her philanthropy and the milk of human kindness that flows in her veins, both of which, apparently, motivated Rev. Ezekiel to establish MEEZ Outreach Empowerment Initiative, a pet project through which she reaches out to the needy. “MEEZ Outreach International was founded in the early ‘90s with a mandate to raise prosperous families, leaders; people with vision, power and purpose, and reach out to troubled souls by putting smiles on their faces for God’s Kingdom exploits,” she told Sunday Vanguard. MEEZ operates in several segments to meet the needs of the various categories of the people in the society. The first segment impacts Basic Computer Studies into beneficiaries. This is obviously a well thought out programme to benefit a significant number of people in the new age where you can practically do nothing without the computer. Besides, this is a tool for self-employment in today’s Nigeria where paid jobs are difficult to come by.

Operating business support services centres and cyber cafes are among self-employment areas beneficiaries can venture into. In its fourth year, no fewer than 550 people have graduated under the scheme.

C M Y K

The scheme is supported

by Microsoft a n d recognised in Europe as the European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL), and is the world’s largest end-user computer skills certification programme, with over seven million candidates in 146 countries and has an internationally recognised qualification. The CPM Coordinator sheds more light on this segment of the scheme: “This training programme is designed specifically to reach out to men and women who wish to gain a benchmark qualification that will enable them develop their skills and enhance their career prospects, thereby helping them to be more efficient in their jobs. And more so, to reach out to troubled souls, youths, orphans, widows, the less privileged and the needy in the society thereby taking many of them out of street trading, apprenticeship, house boys and house maids, truancy and servitude back to the upper room for rebreeding, empowerment and to launch out and achieve their purpose in life.” A grandfather, Papa Gogo Joseph, who benefitted from the 2016 edition of the Basic Computer Studies programme, has this to say: “I have been opportune to graduate with my children and grandchildren from the MEEZ Outreach Empowerment Initiative.

During the programme, I was able to learn how to operate a computer system effectively; yet little did I know that I was born before the first generation of computers. This means I am older than the first computer that ever existed. However, it is interesting to note that in the 21st century of the digitalised world, I currently operate the fifth generation of computers.”

There is also the Adult Literacy Education segment of MEEZ which, according to Ezekiel, is

•Mercy Ezekiel

MEEZ is in partnership with two NGOs from the U.S., one founded in 2010 by U.S. President Barack Obama and the other by a former U.S. ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Walter Carrington

designed to revive the hope of people who dropped out of school. She says: “In this segment, we teach people how to read and write effectively and do basic mathematics.

Candidates are prepared for the SSCE. Today, this platform has produced four candidates who had not entered classroom before but today are set to sit for SSCE/GCE and UTME.” MEEZ is also into the Maths/ English Clinic programme to help students who are deficient in the all-important subjects scale the SSCE/UMTE hurdles. So what motivated this segment of the MEEZ project?

The CPM Coordinator explains: “Recent SSCE results showed that less than 15 per cent of candidates achieve five or more credits, including mathematics and English language, which is the basic requirement for admission into

universities. In fact, many students have to retake their exams because they failed Mathematics and English in their first attempt. For this reason, MEEZ launched into the Maths/English Clinic and Computer Training every Thursday and Saturday for free. Our teachers also take candidates through revision tips that help them pass SSCE.” Still not done with the quest to empower as many people as possible, MEEZ is in partnership with two NGOs from the U.S., one founded in 2010 by U.S. President Barack Obama and the other by a former U.S. ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Walter Carrington.

“These NGOs provide us with resources to train young Nigerians on business and leadership courses which entitle them to an international certificate signed by the Bureau of International Information Programmes US Department of State. It also affords young Nigerians the opportunity to travel to the US on a six-week course, a meeting with the president and an opportunity to handle a project in Nigeria via US government funding.

This is because it is a highly competitive opportunity as it cuts across three countries in Africa including Nigeria,” Ezekiel states. MEEZ also sponsors a vocational training programme which trains people how to make soap, cake, bread, hat, beads, among others. The CPM Coordinator adds: “This particular package has really had an impact in the lives of many people who have had the privilege to participate and make something meaningful out of it.” MEEZ giant strides have not gone unnoticed. She has been

recognised with no fewer than 20 awards from across Nigeria and abroad. Among the awards are the Female Achiever Award of the Year 2001 by the City People magazine, Distinguished Christian Leaders Merit Award 2004, Time International Leadership Award 2005, Women Achievers Award by the Women Wing of the Christian Association of Nigeria, and Award of Excellence and Visionary Leadership 2013 as the first female Deputy President of the PFN. There are envious testimonies to the dynamism of Ezekiel. Professor (Mrs) C.I. Igwilo, a senior lecturer and Director, Foundation Programmes, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Lagos, s a y s : “ M E E Z Empowerment Scheme is a commendable programme which builds peoples’ capabilities.

Members of the church should take advantage of the scheme to enhance their skills. Igwilo suggests the initiative should expand by reaching out to other branches so as to empower more people.

She adds: “It will be great if members support the scheme financially.” Elder Charles Onyunku, a management consultant, echoed similar sentiment, saying MEEZ is a medium God designed to draw people closer to him. His words: “It was also designed to pass knowledge and empower the unskilled in the society, so that they can stand on their own and become successful.” Is the MEEZ empowerment open only to CPM members? Ezekiel answers: “It is an interdenominational Christian fellowship outreach and the first to organise a faith fellowship called Faith Clinic every Tuesday, and thereafter introduced Business Commission and pre-natal clinic to share the word of God on how to live a prosperous and dominion lifestyle. It is not called to be a church but to complement the vision of the CPM to reach out to families and the needy.” The CPM Coordinator’s robust academic background must have prepared her for exploits. She attended University of Lagos where she obtained a bachelor’s degree in music.

She also bagged a bachelor’s degree in theology, master’s degree in theology and doctor of philosophy in theology. She went further and obtained a master’s degree in Christian education from Christian College, Texas, diploma in pastoral education and chaplaincy from the International Institute of Pastoral Studies, and a certificate from Lagos Business School in managing people for strategic advantage.

PAGE 26—SUNDAY Vanguard, MAY 15, 2016

If you are blameless, cast the first stone at Cameron

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his past week the attention of the international community was turned to the great country called Nigeria. For quite some time, the subject, Nigeria, became the leading news in the western media. At the same time, the search engines also got really busy as two keywords - 'Nigeria' and 'Corruption' were in hot demand.

I am sure many people combined the two words for effective search results. No matter how you order them "Nigeria corruption" or "Corruption Nigeria" they are both "search engine friendly" and you will be amazed at the results that come up. If you are a fan of Wikipedia, you will find their entries on Nigeria and Corruption very fascinating, tracing the topics back to independence.

From time immemorial, Nigeria and corruption are mentioned in the same breath all over the world, just like the search engine experiments mentioned above. Is it not strange, you may be asking yourself. No, it is not, Nigeria is synonymous with corruption. What may seem strange to any reasonable Nigerian is the way and manner some of them have reacted last past week to prove that Nigeria may actually be a country of saints.

The United Kingdom Prime Minister David Cameron had during the week angered many Nigerians by his disparaging comments about Nigeria - the giant of Africa.

It would be recalled that Cameron had during a conversation with Queen Elizabeth at the Buckingham Palace referred to Nigeria and Afghanistan as "fantastically corrupt" countries. It was a gaffe on the part of the PM who, probably out of excitement forgot that television cameras do have microphones. It was not the first time he would embarrass himself and the people of Britain in such manner.

Nigerians immediately reacted in varying degrees to Cameron's gaffe. They were surprised and shocked that Cameron, a supposed "friend" of Nigeria could describe her with such unflattering words.

Especially coming days before the country's President Muhammadu Buhari was expected as a guest in an anticorruption summit in the city.

Many Nigerians took exception to the tag while some called on the Federal Government to issue a diplomatic "fatwa" on the British Prime Minister and his country.

As events would reveal, these 'patriotic' reactions were definitely not in tune with what Buhari had in mind as response to Cameron's remark about Nigeria. His media aide issued a statement expressing Buhari's disappointment and shock at Cameron description of Nigeria. This was as far as the condemnation of the PM went. In a surprise move, Buhari, on arrival in Britain aligned with Cameron when he stated categorically on a Sky News interview that "Yes"

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Nigeria is indeed a corrupt country. He offered no further explanation.

We all agree that what Cameron said about Nigeria was not new, but some Nigerians thought Buhari would have seized every media (and public relations) opportunities while in the UK to address the world about the efforts his government is making in this area. And also educate the West that not all Nigerians are corrupt.

Buhari was given another opportunity to launder the image of Nigeria in the interview with CNN's Christine Amanpour. In what some of his supporters have described as his humility, Buhari once again faced the western world and once more confirmed Cameron's assertion. He said: "Well, I think he's being honest about it. He's talking about what he knows about the two of us, Afghanistan and Nigeria, and by what we are doing in Nigeria by the day. I don't think you can fault him."

That's right. We can not fault Cameron because, firstly, he did not say anything new or unheard of before and secondly, he knew of the corrupt practices in Nigeria more than Buhari. Who can argue with facts when Nigeria is ranked 136 among 178 countries? Moreover, Buhari knows that Cameron was talking from a vantage position of knowledge about the corrupt practices of our leaders.

Frankly, anytime Nigeria is in the western media, it is mentioned for either corruption or poverty.

Therefore the picture of an average Nigerian in the head of a westerner is that of an impoverished citizen who works tirelessly to position himself where he can enrich himself and family corruptly

It will be foolhardy for us to think the international community has any regard for Nigeria as a good example of how not to be a corrupt nation.

It is indeed laughable if we continue to deceive ourselves as such. Unfortunately Nigeria is corruption personified. This trend did not start yesterday or last year, however, it gained momentum in the past two or three years, especially as events leading to the 2015 general elections began.

Right from a long time ago,

there has been so many scandals associated with Nigeria and the leaders. Of recent was the Halliburton, involving highly placed Nigerians in and out of government. This case, among many, announced to the world that Nigeria is bad for business. Many of the leaders accused of involvement in this scandal are yet to have their dates in court.

At the individual level we have the email scam, that has rightly been named "Nigerian email scam". It does not matter where the email originates from, the first thought of the receiver is Nigeria. This "yahoo yahoo" business is associated with Nigeria and well known to the world.

Frankly, anytime Nigeria is in the western media, it is mentioned for either corruption or poverty.

Therefore the picture of an average Nigerian in the head of a westerner is that of an impoverished citizen who works tirelessly to position himself where he can enrich himself and family corruptly.

Over the years there has never been any diplomatic reaction to these inference of Nigeria as a corrupt country.

So why do we think Buhari would do otherwise? His confirmation that Nigeria is corrupt is more useful than the silence of various past administrations.

So for a long time Nigerians have marketed corruption as the Unique Selling Proposition to the outside world. Come to think of it. The only news we have projected to the international media in the lifetime of President Muhammad Buhari's regime is corruption.

The administration had made a song and dance about how corrupt the citizens are and has since its inception been on the trail of the few it has identified for now. Many rogue Nigerians have been detained while some more were said to have done plea bargaining - return the looted funds and be spared the "rod".

There is no doubt corruption is rife in the country. It is endemic to Africa, but particularly worrying in Nigeria, considering how much it has eaten into our fabric as a nation. The image of every Nigerian is tarnished no matter how hard working or honest you may be. Who will tell the world that not every business or deals are transacted corruptly?

Corruption is the business of Nigerian leaders. They sniff it out and empower themselves with the gains of the corrupt practices. The common man on the street who is seeking what to eat have less or no opportunity to participate in corrupt practices on the scale that Cameron referred.

In Nigeria corruption is a way of life of our leaders, either military, political, business and some will add religious. They amass wealth unashamedly by corrupt practices and use this to establish themselves to oppress the masses.

While Buhari is boasting that he is on top of corruption in anger, may I seize this opportunity to tell him that his efforts are acceptable to the international world. They do not see any road at the end of the tunnel in terms of proper trial of the accused, most of whom were alleged to be on trial for corruption based on their political affiliation.

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ur focus this week is on keeping a joyful home. In addressing most issues in life, the foundation is crucial. What is the foundation of that marriage you are into?

What is the foundation of your search for a life partner? Or even the foundation of the home filled with children?

Though many of us believe that the spiritual influences the physical, we need to check and re-check the foundation of our physical life and, if possible, reflect on the spiritual.

Somehow, this wasn’t the topic I planned to write on after last week’s edition but I believe I am being led by the Holy Spirit to write on this topic because of someone or some people.

For many of us, the foundation of what we expect to give joy but has not manifested is the cause of our failure in that aspect.

Let’s begin by discussing how we choose a marriage partner.

Who is your would-be spouse?

The word of God, according to Proverbs 18 verse 22 (KJV), states: “Whosoever findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the Lord”.

But how do you find a good wife? Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye, General Overseer of RCCG, while speaking at the last Holy Ghost Service, in a sermon, titled, Victorious Grace, said there are a lot of women but not all could be wives..

He said “ finding a good wife is warfare”, just as finding a good husband is warfare.

These days, people go on the internet to marry people they barely know.

As usual, I’ll share with you the experience of a young lady who was married but now divorced.

This Nigerian lady lives in Europe . She realized her children had become grown ups and would soon leave home. Hence the decision to search for a husband and she chose the internet.

There , she met a Nigerian man who lived in an Asian country.

Before anyone could say Jack Robinson, a marriage had been held in the Asian country to enable the man move to the Europe to stay with his wife.

Once he got the resident permit, he began to show his true colours.

He became an absenteehusband . Unknown to the wife, he had become a commercial sex worker to Caucasian women . He kept late nights or never slept at home.

The man cleverly shunned church wedding and would not cooperate with the wife to do anything that could make both of them have children. Till today, they still live together but the lady expresses her frustration with the marriage anytime she has an opportunity to do so.

Forbidden steps Even for those in marriage, some Christians subject themselves to all sorts of fetish cultures in a bid to keep their marriage or please in-laws. How do I know?

First, let ‘s see what the

Keeping a joyful home Bible says about marriage. Matthew 19 verses 5 and 6: “For this cause shall a man leave father and mother and shall cleave to his wife; and the twain shall be one flesh? Wherefore, they are no more twain but one flesh. What, therefore, God hath joined together, let no man put asunder ”.

Some men have chosen to remain boys even in marriage. In other

In our quest to have children, we also need to be extra careful. Why ? It is simply because everywhere in our society, the issue of having children is one that takes a new dimension daily

words, they are not man enough to take decisions on crucial issues affecting their homes.

A man is not a man in the real sense of the word if he keeps reporting every issue in his home to his parents rather than discuss with the wife.

In the case of a young man in his late 30s known to me, he told his parents everything about his wife’s past that it got to a point that they had to force her to go and swear before an oracle.

She, being a church worker, instead of standing firm on the word of God that we should not bow before any other god, succumbed to their pressure and took the oath.

Unknown to her, this oath was meant to put an end to the marriage.

Remember, she thought she would take the oath to keep her marriage.

On the contrary, after the oath, her relationship with her husband got so bad that the husband threatened to kill her. Eventually, she had to leave the home. Guess who saw her out of the gate? Her father-in-law.

Who became the mother of the house? Her mother-inlaw.

Up till the time of writing this article, that marriage remains in tatters. The couple remains separated.

The issue here is simple.

Be conscious of what you must not do as a Christian, no matter the challenge we are facing.

This woman failed to act like Joseph who refused to sleep with his master ’s wife.

As recorded in Genesis 39 verse 9 ( later part), Joseph asked himself: “How can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?”.

As Christians, we must bear in mind that what God has given us cannot be given to the devil or his agents to protect.

Just as we should not expect that whatever is given by the Lord, He will make perfect.

The search for children In our quest to have children, we also need to be extra careful. Why ? It is simply because everywhere in our society, the issue of having children is one that takes a new dimension daily.

Someone mentioned to me that some fetish women usually come to a square in central Lagos to make sacrifices for people who want to have children. She said she has seen many women have children after taking part in the rituals.

These women certainly represent man-made gods. Therefore, a couple interested in children should never patronize such people.

The word of the Lord on child-bearing is very clear. It states in Psalm 127 verse 3 : “ Lo children are an heritage of the Lord; and the fruit of the womb is his reward”. This should assure us that it is only God that gives children.

Children given by any other means cannot give us a joyful home.

We are also further assured of this special blessing of the Lord in Psalm 128 verses 2and 3: “ For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands ; happy shall thou be, and it shall be well with thee.

Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of thine house; thy children like olive plants round about thy table”.

This, however, comes with a condition. Psalm 128 verse 1 states:” Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord; that walketh in His ways”.

We must remember that Joseph feared God, hence he stayed away from sin and got his dreams fulfilled.

For us to be fulfilled, we must learn to fear God and live according to His word.

Did I hear you say no one is perfect? Yes, no one is perfect but we must be seen to strive to live according to His word.

Entertain no fear. God will surely grant your heart’s desire in Jesus name.

SUNDAY Vanguard, MAY 15, 2016, PAGE 27

Standing on the graves of Agatu before crisis turns to tragedy “ Late, Joseph Enenche, Joseph Yakubu, Joseph Alabali, Eluma Godday, Ojo Godday, Abia Michael, BlessingMichael, Ngbede Anjonu, Ayo Joseph, Ikwuunife Anjonu, Sunday Edo, Isah Edo, Ibrahim Otache, Abu Alhassan, Andrew Samson, Onyachei John, Eluma Ochechie, Ibrahim Jumoh, Ochewuikuru Pius, Musa Ikpa, Musa Ibrahim, Anjela Ogoto, Ekoja Ochiba, Jenebu Ocheinu, Oyigowo Yakubu, Yakubu Ishu, Saduan Itologwu, Allihasan Isa, Yakubu Ali, Onune Sule Daddy Isaac, Ochokpefu Alabali, Momoh Kasimu”—33 out of several unknown victims of the siege of Agatu.

Source: EDOR OBIABO, The ADA-GALE of Aila, Agatu, Benue State, at Egba Agatu, May 4, 2016.

“Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.” US President John Kennedy, 1917-1963. resident Kennedy made that remark during his inauguration address in 1960. I landed in the USA nine months after the assassination of the man

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who made my American university education possible. But, I always had in mind his advice to Americans. And, I don’t see why it can’t apply to Nigerians. Until now, I never had an opportunity to do something for our country. The genocide at Agatu changed that position. Suddenly, it was difficult to sleep. The thought of several hundred fellow Nigerians slaughtered and thousand rendered homeless by other fellow Nigerians was more than I could bear – especially when everything in the media point to the possibility that more carnage might be on the way. It was time to set out and find out what can be done.

So, in a way this series of articles is tribute to the “Agatu 33”, named above and others nationwide still to be named. I have just started work. As soon as possible, I will cover Nimbo and other places in search of answers to the questions asked by ace columnist Lawal Ogienagbon, in THE NATION OF May 5, 2016.

“Why is it that herdsmen

have suddenly become killers? Are they being treated as outcast in their host communities? When did such hostile treatment begin? Something must be behind the sudden transformation of these herdsmen.” Unless we find answers to those questions, we might slide into an unwanted war before we realize it.

Like most tragedies occurring in Nigeria, the siege of Agatu by armed men, had been badly reported and mostly misinterpreted in a manner that is now drawing us towards uncontrollable violent conflict. The “Agatu 33”, for lack of a better name to describe them, would either become known in the history as the strongest wake up call for national action regarding the incessant fatal clashes between the herdsmen and farmers/host communities or they will constitute the first installment in a series of deaths resulting from other clashes in the future.

Most of us might not be aware, but, there are groups, North and South, which for reasons known to them and us, want Nigeria to break up. This crisis has presented them with the opportunity to achieve their objectives by posing as champions of their people. Those opposed to the “Balkanisation” of Nigeria are confronted with the devil’s choice. They can take the easy way out and join the mass hysteria whipped up by the “militants”. Or, they can make the tough choice and stand up for Nigeria. I have chosen the latter. But, in order to convince others sitting on the fence, irrefutable facts are needed.

In fact, the Agatu invasion and subsequent

reactions, reports and commentaries can be used as a case study on how ingrained prejudices, rumours, misinformation (deliberate or inadvertent) and outright lies have combined to push us to the brink of another civil strive – but one with a difference.

This would not be like the last war in which there were declared “enemies”. Any conflict starting on account of the herdsmen crisis will result in several fronts at once. Anyone expecting a North versus South encounter is self-deluded.

The ethnic nationalities on

consigned to the history books. From Gandhi, when he was asked what he thought of Western civilization, and he replied: “I think it would be a good Idea”. The PMB moment was similar to the Gandhi response.

In his defence, David Cameron said that it is a known fact that Nigeria is corrupt. And let’s be honest and in fact, let’s be brutally honest. We know that Nigeria is massively corrupt and that in the last few months the Buhari administration has clamped down on corrupt politicians and doing their hardest to claw back what was

'It ain’t what they call you, it’s what you answer to' I

f you are ever in doubt of President Muhammadu Buhari’s steely determination, the world sat up and took notice of PMB and he gained millions of admirers around the world, including the British Prime minister, David Cameron who caused a major diplomatic faux pas at an event in which the British monarch was present. David Cameron had earlier being overheard that: “We’ve got some leaders of some fantastically corrupt countries coming to Britain... Nigeria and Afghanistan, possibly the two most corrupt countries in the world” During the discussion, it could also be heard that the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby defending PMB’s reputation: “But this particular president is not corrupt... he’s trying very hard,” But David Cameron was impervious to this thread of perspectives and in the meantime, the Queen

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looked on impassively and what I would have given anything to know what she was thinking of her Prime minister’s gaffe, we can only wonder.

Well, his gaffe was the talk of the media around the world and he definitely had the proverbial egg on his face, while his PR people tried but failed to do some damage limitation. Labour, the opposition, party criticised Cameron and accused the Prime minister of: “hosting an anticorruption summit that is like putting the fox in charge of the chicken coop” and that: “The government is refusing to take meaningful action to close Britain’s constellation of tax havens, which together constitute the largest financial secrecy network in the world,” said Shadow International Development Secretary Diane Abbott. Really, a case of the pot calling the kettle black!

This was political gold and it reminded me of a similar event that has been

So we didn’t have to wait for long and PMB’s response was swift. He said that he was: “deeply shocked and embarrassed” by David Cameron’s comments and that:” the Prime Minister must have been referring to Nigeria’s past notoriety for corruption before his coming to power last year”!

Similarly the Afghan embassy in London said tackling corruption was one of their President’s top priorities and “bold” action had been taken. And :”We have made important progress in fighting systematic capture in major national procurement contracts and are making progress on addressing institutional issues as well as issues related to impunity... and therefore, calling Afghanistan in that way is unfair.”

This was truly gold and those who didn’t know PMB before know him and he definitely gained a lot of admirers, with his thoroughly composed response.

The trip to Agatu, with a brief stop-over in Ukpabi Nimbo, Enugu State, has proved to me that we are already suffering some of the unintended consequences of an undeclared war. It is in order to avert nationwide tragedy that I undertook the fact finding tour at my own expense both sides can never come together to create a united front. .

The trip to Agatu, with a brief stop-over in Ukpabi Nimbo, Enugu State, has proved to me that we are already suffering some of the unintended consequences of an undeclared war. It is in order to avert nationwide tragedy that I undertook the fact finding tour at my own expense. Whatever readers find on these pages are

Actually, honesty is the best policy. They say that the truth, will set you free but some people do not want to be honest said to be the largest amount of loot stolen from Nigerian coffers; a massively and unbelievable was $160 billion dollars was carted out of the country and stashed in different accounts in different part of the world! So let’s not beat about the bush some of us need to take some bitter truth pill because we feel uncomfortable with the truth and this denial is what is essentially killing Nigerians and our institutions.

The transparency International said the UK’s record was mixed and concrete action was needed on tax evasion and secrecy in the wake of the Panama Papers disclosures, stopping tainted firms from bidding for

entirely the facts uncovered during the trip, not only about Agatu, but about the crisis in other places that is threatening to tear our country apart.

For those readers who might ask the question “why do you think you can offer a different insight that would help avert pervasive violent clashes”? Let me provide some reasons as best as possible.

First, several weeks after the invasion, it became noticeable that something was wrong with the reports, the commentaries and the recommendations by several highly placed individuals – especially newspaper columnists.

Like Lawal, I was not getting any answers to why the sudden attack.

Was it possible that nobody had been to Agatu to investigate the matter?

Second, the staff of the leading Nigerian newspapers, as I should know, are predominantly Southern Christians; while the Fulani herdsmen, who ha been judged in absentia and found guilty, are almost all Muslims. The few Northern Muslim columnists engaged by the Lagos/Ibadan media houses can be counted on the fingers of one hand; and you wouldn’t even use up all of them. So, let us honestly ask ourselves, “Can a Northern Muslim group expect impartial justice from a jury composed of all Southern Christians? It is very doubtful.

In fact, the use of the words “Fulani herdsmen” is prejudicial and demonstrates total ignorance. I know that because in my ten years

in the North, seven were spent rearing cattle and engaging herdsmen. At no time were they all Fulani.

At North Brewery Limited, Kano, at least three of the senior managers including me, had livestock and engaged herdsmen and women (that shows another common lack of knowledge), one Supervisor worked for all of us, late Yinusa Idi, who was a Gwari, man not Fulani. So, there is pervasive ignorance among the Lagos/Ibadan media people who are supposed to be informing the people. Instead, they have continued to combine ignorance with prejudice and are busy whipping up hysteria everywhere. I feel disgusted each time a respected columnist writing on this issue mentions Fulani herdsmen. When my vendor delivered THE PUNCH on Saturday, May 7, 2016, with screaming headlines FULANI HERDSMEN ATTACKS, I promptly gave the paper to the woman selling roasted plantains. If the editors of a leading paper are so ignorant, what can one expect from the masses?

So, I owe it a responsibility to Nigeria to correct the massive falsehood in the Southern Nigerian media about this crisis. ALL HERDSMEN ARE NOT FULANI. That is the first fact that must be established.

I received the shock of my life when I landed in Agatu with a free-lance photo-journalist, Oche King. No newspaper or magazine correspondent had been there. All the stories on which responsible people were basing comments, which could destabilize Nigeria, were hearsay o, rumours…

public contracts and protecting whistle-blowers who expose corruption.

Nigeria was ranked 136 out of 167 countries in Tr a n s p a r e n c y International’s 2015 Corruption Perceptions Index and this ranking is not to be proud of.Anticorruption watchdog Tr a n s p a r e n c y International has criticised Mr Cameron’s comments, accusing the UK of being part of the problem by “providing a safe haven for corrupt assets” at home and in its overseas territories. And PMB stressed these concerns in his address, quoting from a previous study into corruption in the country ’s oil sector: “Nigerian crude oil is being stolen on an industrial scale and exported, with the proceeds laundered through world financial centres by transnational organised criminals” and that the British Prime Minister, David Cameron, was simply being honest by describing Nigeria as a “fantastically corrupt country.”

Last week, VicePresident, Yemi Osinbajo said that an estimated $15bn (£10bn) of government money had been stolen through corrupt arms contracts under the previous government. Another instance, in March, an official audit found that Nigeria’s state-owned oil

company had failed to pay the government $25bn in a suspected fraud! So for those deniers, when faced with truth, they cannot simply handle the truth.

Imagine if this amount of money was spent on capital works in Nigeria and institutions, what a transformation that would make and imagine how many lives it would have changed for the better...

So before some of us get on our sanctimonious high horse to defend the indefensible: the money that is missing is $160 billion dollars! Yeah, $160 billion dollars.

I have read what these hoodlums said that, Buhari was wrong to have been honest to declare to the world that: Nigeria is a corrupt country. I beg to differ. He was brutally honest and I know that most Nigerians do like honesty, that they rather been given the impression that everything all right and of course, that there is no such thing as corruption in Nigeria! Well, according to them, they believe that he should not have washed our dirty linen in full view of the world. Actually, honesty is the best policy. They say that the truth, will set you free but some people do not want to be honest and they are far gone in their deceit to ever admit that corruption has been the cornerstone of Nigerian lives for decades and it is about time, to change the mind set of Nigerians.

PAGE 28—SUNDAY Vanguard, MAY 15, 2016

By Tony Nwankwo

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UBRIN Yaya is Sultan, Shua Arabs, Lagos State.

He operated as a herdsman for twelve years before now employing herdsmen himself.

In this interview, the Maiduguri -born Shua Arab speaks on the danger armed herdsmen pose to society and what can be done to check the menace.

There is tension now in Nigeria as a result of the activities of cattle rearers in parts of the country. As a leader of your people, the Shua Arabs, what do you say?

The problem between cattle rearers and farmers, which was even rampant in the North, is well known to us. It is a matter that should be left to the government of the states and traditional rulers.

We will ask that traditional rulers find a way to create a safe passage for cattle rearers and their cattle. That is my advise to Fulani cattle rearers, which I am part of, although I am Shua Arab. For our people of Shua Arab, our herdsmen operate in Borno, Yobe and Yola. We don’t bring our cattle for grazing in southern Nigeria. However, if we detect a fat cattle, we can send them for sale in the southern market. It is the Fulani cattle rearers that come to Yorubaland, Igbo land and even they go as far as Cotonou and even some parts of Ghana, to graze their cattle.

The Shua Arab don’t come to the south of Nigeria, we operate in the North. So, I will advise the Fulani herdsmen who come to the South not to allow little children as herdsmen, they should ensure that only adults, mature men are entrusted with the task of taking the cattle for grazing.

This is because if you send little boys to follow the cattle, instead of leading the cattle, they follow them, and may not know when the cows enter someone’s farms. The little boys can lead the cattle in the forest, but not on farmlands.

Meanwhile, if they are grazing on planted fields, they should ensure that only experienced adults handle the cattle to ensure they don’t damage people’s crops. That is how we handle the cattle in Maiduguri. If the herd is grazing near the village, it is expected that experienced adults should handle them, but when they enter the forests, away from people’s farms, we allow children to graze the cattle.

You are saying there is a difference between Shua Arab herdsmen and Fulani herdsmen?

We are the same, but we differ in language and a little bit of customs. The cattle rearers are the same, the way they operate is the same way we operate. Don’t forget we also are farmers. That is the reason during our farming season, we don’t allow little boys to lead the cows, because there

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In America, one man can have one million cows, but he provides them with grass under an enclosure. It is only in Africa that people follow cattle to graze from place to place. If you are moving from place to place and in the process start killing people, how can those people accept you to come back and graze in their land

Shua Arab herdsmen don’t graze cattle into trouble spots —Sultan Jubrin Yaya

•Says cattle rearears who carry guns are thieves is also the possibility of small boys following the cows and so the cattle can stray into farms. It happens even in our own farms and we don’t accept it. Also farmers should be patient with cattle rearers, because if you produce guinea corn, maize, yam, etc, you need meat to enjoy the meals. They go hand-inhand. Also you who own the cows, you can’t simply kill one and eat the meat from morning till night. So, cow meat and farm produce should go together.

You celebrated the victory of President Muhammadu Buhari at the polls last year.

Then you confirmed you own cattle and you have herdsmen. Today, these herdsmen carry AK47 rifles.

What is the purpose of these heavy weapons with which they commit atrocities: killing people, raping women, robbing people, etc?

It is very unfortunate for cattle rearers to carry weapons, talkless of heavy weapons like AK47. Herdsmen are not supposed to carry weapons, they carry sticks. If people see cattle rearers carrying weapons like AK47, they should report to the police or army, so they can be arrested, investigated and prosecuted.

They should not carry weapons. I have a farm in Minna, Niger State, if I see cattle rearers there with AK47, I will call security agencies to arrest them. It should not be tolerated.

Who supplies these weapons?

I don’t know. It seems a very new development. In the past, cattle rearers only

carried arrows, ada (machete) and sticks as they moved from forest to forest. That is all they were entitled to. They are not expected to carry guns.

Those herdsmen who carry guns are thieves. People should check them. The police should arrest them and ask them how they acquired such sophisticated weapons.

Security people should arrest their sponsors and ask them how they acquired the weapons. It is dangerous and they use these weapons to commit all kinds of crimes: murder, rape and armed robbery.

Now there are three bills before the National Assembly, seeking that state governments provide grazing land or ranches for these violent group. How far can these bills go?

If they pursue the matter successfully it will be good.

You should understand that in the world now, there are few countries that still engage herdsmen. Only the countries of Nigeria, Chad, Cameroun and Sudan that still have cattle rearers. In America, one man can have one million cows, but he provides them with grass under an enclosure. It is only in Africa that people follow cattle to graze from place to place. If you are moving from place to place and in the process start killing people, how can those people accept you to come back and graze in their land I, personally wouldn’t sanction that. If you come to my community and you carry arms and kill the people I will not allow you any further access, because you are

dangerous.

So, what is your advise to members of the National Assembly (the Senate and Members of the House of Reps.) on these bills?

My advise to the Senators and Members of the House of Representatives is to try to get a grazing route for the cattle rearers. If there is no route where cattle can pass, it cannot be good, because they must go somewhere with these cattle. We should tell ourselves the truth, there is no way cattle cannot get rearers.

But what we do condemn are those herdsmen who carry weapons and terrorise people. That is not good.

Nowadays, if you go to Maiduguri and someone greets you, you say, ‘are you a Maiduguri man?’, the response you get is, ‘no, he is a Boko Haram’. It is very painful. It is the same thing they want to bring to the South by these irresponsible acts. To me, it is bad. I will never support cattle rearers to carry heavy weapons. I will want my fellow owners of cattle to do something about this. I am Sultan of Shua Arab, I will advise the Sariki of Fulani, so we can do something about it. Let him call his people together. If, for instance, I have a cow and I employ you as herdsman, if you follow my cow and I see that no cow is missing, none has been killed, and you the cattle rearer is coming home to my house with expensive clothes or cash, I should ask you how you got the money to buy the clothes or the money you are spending. I must ask you the question: “You

are following my cows, you go and come back, my cows are intact, you never asked me for money for your further upkeep and tomorrow, you come home with N5,000, N10,000 or N50,000, I will ask how you got it”. My fellow leaders should be able to ask such questions to their cattle rearers.

‘My cows are intact, you are sleeping in my house, yet you are bringing such money in, I must ask you how you get it. I know that as far back as 1958, government was collecting taxes from us cattle rearers.

Then I was in the bush. I was following cows. They were collecting 50 kobo for each cow.

If you have 100 cows you multiply those by 50 kobo, the same if 10, you pay for those, if you had one, the same thing.

Farmers were paying N1 for each person and N2 for husband and wife. Then there was no money as such, and there was little fuel.

There is this thinking by many people that the little stick carried by herdsmen has magical powers. Is this true? (laughter) I have been a cattle rearer myself, and I can tell you there is no magic in the stick.

I was a cattle rearer for 12 years.

I will follow cattle from Maiduguri to Enugu on foot.

From Minna to Ibadan, I did the journey with cattle. Then there was no trailers as you have them now, not many vehicles as they are today. We trek the whole distance. From Chad Republic, we buy cows and take them to Ibadan, all the journey on foot. We travel to Warri, Port Harcourt, sometimes you spend three to four months before you get to your destination. I followed cow from Ogbomosho to bring them to Ibadan.

You supported Buhari for President last year. What can say about the ‘change’ he promised Nigerians?

It is difficult to repair what has been damaged. By the time Buhari came to power, there was no security in Nigeria, no road, no hospitals, no money.

Now he has managed to retrieve money from corrupt people. As at now, the Senators and Members of the House are not cooperating with him. See the Budget that was sent for more than three months, nothing has been done about it. He is supposed to sign it.

Normally, whenever things like this happens, they are expected to meet with the President to plead with him to sign it into law. If there is anything they want to add in the Budget or remove from it, they should sit together to iron it out. The way they are operating, they are killing the country. He is President, he can give money for projects with or without the approval of these people, but he wants to follow the law. My advise however to Buhari is that he should cooperate with the National Assembly men so that the common man will not continue to suffer. I am only advising, I have no power like them, they are in government, but I am outside the government.

SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY 15, 2016, PAGE 29

AYO ONIKOYI 08052201215

Ainabe celebrat es 70th bir thda ear celebrates birthda thdayy, 45 yyear earss of Honour for Pa Sofenwa hief PA Lamidi A. Sofenwa former Principal, marriage Comprehensive High, Ayetoro, was honoured t was a parade of the

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The celebrant , Sir Chief (Dr) & Mrs Ezekiel Ainabe cutting the birthday cake.

L-R: Dr. Alex Ekwueme, Prince & Mrs Julius Adelusi and celebrant

c o u n t r y ’ s heavyweights when Sir Ezekiel Ainabe th celebrated his 70 birthday and his 45th year wedding anniversary, in Lagos.

While Prince Julius Adelusi was the chairman of the occasion, Dr Alex Ekwueme was the special guest of the day.

Other dignitaries like AVM Anthony Okpere Fomer Minister of Aviation, Erelu Ojuolape Ojora also graced the event.

Photos by Diran Oshe

L-R: Dr (Mrs) Helen Ekwueme; Princess (Mrs. Adeluyi-Adelusi, Erelu Ojuolape Ojora; celebrant's wife, Dame Ainabe, Prince Julius Adelusi, chairman of the occasion and Mrs Imaekhai.

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by 73/77 set Old Students at their reunion gettogether held at Crown Royal Hotel, Abeokuta, Ogun State recently. Photos By WUNMI AKINOLA

L-R: Pastor Danso Abayomi, Engr Olamide Teslim Balogun (Chairman) and Isimotu Jayesola Sogeke presenting a gift to Chief PA Lamidi A. Sofenwa.

L-R: Barrister Olasupo Osho, Chief (Mrs) Teju Bakre and Prince A. Adewale

Vanguard’s Ahon knight ed knighted THE Investiture ceremony of Sir Festus Ahon of Vanguard Newspapers and 22 others as Knights of St. Christopher and Mary Magdalene of the Anglican Communion by the Bishop of the Ughelli Diocese, Rt Revd Cyril Odutemu held at the All Saints Cathedral Church, Ughelli, Delta State on Easter day.

L-R: Prince Julius Adelusi, Sir Chief ( Dr) Ezekiel Ainabe and Mr Oscar Ibru.

Chief Lawson Omokhodian (l) and Dr. Ona Ekhomu.

Osun Obas’meeting HRM Oba Ashiru Olatoye Olaniyan II (JP), hosts Osun State traditional council of Obas in his palace in Ilobu town, Irepodun local government,Osun State recently. About forty-eight Obas attended the meeting.

Bishop of Ughelli Diocese, Rt Rev Cyril Odutemu flanked by Sir Festus Ahon (l) and his wife, Lady Vivian Ahon.

Cross section of traditional council of Obas during their meeting in Ilobu town.

The host king, HRM Oba Ashiru Olatoye Olaniyan II (JP).

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High chiefs of Ilobu paying homage to the traditional council of Obas at the palace of Olobu HRM Oba Ashiru Olatoye Olaniyan11.

L-R: Lady Vivian Ahon, Sir Festus Ahon, Sir Amos Itihwe, Sir Taleb Tebite, Lady Kesiena Itihwe, Sir Jaro Egbo and Lady Vivian Egbo

PAGE 30—SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY 15, 2016

bunmsof@yahoo.co.uk 08056180152, SMS only

How to forgive a husband who had an affair with your best friend

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f someone was caught having an affair, would they make a full confession?

Would they know if they wanted to stay in that relationship or leave?

Would they be able to explain why they are unfaithful? If they promised to ‘fight’ for their marriage would their actions match their words? For lots of people, however, recovery is not so straight-forward and takes far longer than they would have imagined on discovery day. Sometimes the person who has been unfaithful vows to do ‘anything’ to make it better, but the next day, sabotages everything.

“Sometimes the discoverer of the infidelity is besieged by horrible images or overcome with anxiety - even though they want to move forward”, wrote Andrew G. Marshall in his book: I Can’t Get Over My Partner ’s Affair. He continued: “Sometimes the betrayal has been so great - multiple affairs, prostitutes or cheating with a friend - that recovery is much harder.

If you can’t get over your partner ’s affair, it is easy to think the pain is too great and you need to split up .’ However, there is a message of hope. It’s not that there’s something fundamentally wrong with your marriage, but you have been so profoundly hurt that you need extra help and to learn special skills to find a way through.

One of the simple phenomenons making modem infidelity harder to deal with is this: men and women are much more likely to be friendly today. This was something that was much rarer 30 years ago. Many of my clients tell me their husband or wife thinks it’s acceptable to stay in touch with a lover when their

fling is over. They ’re ‘friends’ after all. In my experience, this only leads to yet more heartbreak, as the affair constantly reignites or threatens to, causing a great deal of anguish. Being betrayed is bad enough, but being betrayed twice in exactly the same way with the same person is twisting the knife in the most brutal way. One of the most painful forms of betrayal is when he cheats with your best friend.

“This is the most hurtful acts of infidelity. After all, the two people you trust the most are your partner and your best friend. The sense of violation can be overwhelming. This was the case of Julia, a client who sought my help after discovering her husband had a two-year affair with her friend. To make matters worse, during this time, the couple were also trying for a baby. Julia’s friend was privy to the most private details of her marriage - for example, when she rowed with her husband or when things became tough because of the fertility treatments

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OUR column to express your loving thoughts in words to your sweetheart. Don’t be shy. Let it flow and let him or her know how dearly you feel.

Write now in not more than 75 words to: The Editor, Sunday Vanguard, P.M.B. 1007, Apapa, Lagos. E.mail: sunlovenotes@yahoo.com Please mark your envelope: “LOVE NOTES"

My bosom friend

You are my bosom friend, my darling and

Julia was taking. And Julia was so close to her friend that when she later had her longed- for child, she made her best friend the godmother!

Unsurprisingly, Juilia was devastated when she eventually discovered this extreme betrayal. ‘’Another woman, Allinson, told me how she discovered her husband was cheating with a close friend of hers. Listening to a little voice inside her head, she checked his mobile whilst he was fast asleep and found that he had been in touch with her friend. Text messages to her revealed their flirtations had started two years before. Such extreme betrayal can make your husband or wife seem like a stranger.

So let’s start by asking what kind of people have affairs? Well, they’re often people pleasers, who want to be kind and make other people happy.

Eventually, though, their needs and desires clash with that of their partners.

“Normally people pleasers quash these desires, telling

themselves ‘my needs don’t matter ’. But then they snap. “What about me?”, they ask. “Don’t I deserve this?” It’s at this point people pleasers turn 180 degrees and become selfish. And it’s then that the temptation to have an affair creeps in. The warning signs’ for couples then is to spot when your needs and desires are diverging. When there is a clash talk. It could save heartbreak. ‘’It’s not always possible to spot the signs though, especially if communication is poor.

Unfortunately, lots of couples imagine they ‘know’ their partner inside out. Instead, genuine interchange is reduced to giving or receiving instructions from each other. It is easy then, to dismiss someone’s feelings when all you do is give each other orders. Into this cravice comes temptation.

And unfortunately, people tend tend to fall in love with someone with whom they have repeated exposure - often from work or a circle of friends. You’d think lovers would realise

inestimable jewel,my sweet mummy, my soulmate and adorable and loving heartbeat all roll into one. You came and changed my world, making it spin around in circles in many colours and in many ways. You are now deeply rooted right inside my heart and uprooting you is practically impossible. My dear EVELYN CHINELO AGU, I am not merely in love with you but I am deeply and passionately in love with you.

Akachukwu Ferdinand. C. akachukwuferdinandc@yahoo.com 08063819314

The Woman I love

Your love is an harmattan wind in my heart. It has set my heart on fire-the Love Fire.

they were crossing a boundary and step back, but there are so many unhelpful myths that facilitate affairs.

For example, “love will find a way ” (and no one will really be hurt) and “this is bigger than both of us.” (So we don’t have to take responsibility). So if you discover your husband or wife has cheated with your best friend, hear in mind the potency of these myths.

Don’t be too self-critical.

However, what you mustn’t do is descend into dramatics, either. When the infidelity involves someone you know well, the tragedy moves up a couple of notches.

Instead of telling other friends or family about the infidelity, venting your emotion, why not pour your feelings into a diary? That way events are less likely to descend into a drama.

“Keep talking - and decide whether you can restore your love for each other. As for your friendm I would cut her out instantly, especially if she is a single mum. It might sound horrible to say, but nine times out of ten, single mothers just want your husband!”

Just How Long Has This Been Going On? (Humour) After 50 years of happy marriage to Lena, Ola becomes very ill and realises that he will soon die. In bed one night, Ola turns to his wife. “Lena,” he asks. “When I am gone, do you think you will marry another man?”

Lena gave it some thought. “Well, yes” she said. “Marriage has been good to me and I think that I surely will marry again”.

Ola was taken aback.

“Why Lena,” he cried.

“Will you bring your new husband into our house?”

“This is a fine house,” Lena said, “yes, I think we

will live here.” “But Lena,” Ola gasped, “Will you bring your new husband into our bed?”

Lena said, “Ola you made this bed, a good strong bed. Yes! Sure I will bring my new husband into this bed.” Ola gulped. “But Lena,” he said in a quiet voice, “ ... you won’t... ah ... let your new husband use my golf clubs, will you?” Lena smiled at her husband. “Oh Ola,” she grinned, misty-eyed. “Of course he won’t use your golf clubs! He is lefthanded.”

Miracle Cure?

(Humour) A man walks into a bar and orders a drink. He necks it, takes out his dick and pisses all over the bar.

The barman is furious and tells the man to get out.

He apologises profusely, saying he doesn’t know what came over him, and that he will see a psychiatrist and get help.

A week later, the man goes back to the bar, orders a drink, takes out his dick and pisses all over the bar.

Again, the furious barman tells him to get out, and again the man apologises, and says he will definitely get some help from a psychiatrist for his unusual condition. He then leaves.

The following week, the man comes in and the barman stops him before he can order a drink. “It’s okay,” says the man, “I’ve been in treatment with my psychiatrist. Everything is fine.’ The barman decides to give the man one last chance, and gives him a beer. The man drinks it, gets his dick out and pisses all over the bar. The barman is stunned. “I thought you’d been to see a psychiatrist,” he says. “I have,” the man replies.

“But you’ve just pissed all over my bar again! The barman says. “I know,” says the man. “But I don’t feel guilty about it any more.”

My heart is glowing red, because it is being irradiated with your love.

Ovis Ukoch Ovis1302@gmail.com

My absolute gem

The day we met was filled with pleasures Our attraction and caring bond are my life's greatest treasure. You're really special, you are the peak; One of a kind, you are unique.

You are a rare and beautiful person And you have delightful attributes Like Devotion, Loyalty and Trust What's more but lots of cutes; And it's amazing how easy it is to be with you.

Okeowo Boluwatife (Tife) Gmail: Okeowof2@gmail.com

SUND AY Vanguard , MA Y 15 , 2016, P AGE 31 SUNDA MAY

The humiliation of dating a much younger man C OPING with the death of a beloved spouse, especially after years of marriage could be a nightmare. When Lola’s husband of over 25 years died suddenly, she was almost suicidal. He had a stomach ache and was dead three days later. Nobody suspected he had a tumour on his liver. “Grief hit me like a boxer ’s fist,” she’d said when a group of friends tried to console her. “He was only 58 and I’d thought we had years left together. I thank God for our three lovely children but they’re all grown now and can hardly be expected to stay at home and hold my hands .. .”

Thanks to the determination of friends, she started picking up the pieces of her life. They dragged her to parties and outings. It was at her late husband’s club she ran into David. He’d been a younger friend with whom he played table tennis. “He was a quiet man, just like my husband,” said Lala, “and he listened sympathetically as I poured out my heart to him. After all, he too had lost a friend. A few weeks later, I was at the club again when I met David amongst friends, celebrating his 40th birthday. We all joined in and I had a wonderful time.

When he learnt I’d come in a friend’s car, he insisted on taking me home. ‘Your life need not be over now your husband’s dead,’ he told me solemnly. ‘If you like, I could

look after you.’

“My jaw dropped. I was 14 years older. What sort of relationship would we have?

But he urged me to think about it. I should have been more cautions and told him off.

“My husband had just died and I was lonely - and flattered I could still be attractive to a man. I loved my husband but he was gone. He was never coming back. I was still here and I had to keep on living.

So, when next he invited himself in for a drink, I didn’t discourage him. He came with a bottle of wine and some chicken and I was surprised at how much I enjoyed his company. In no time at all, we became lovers.

“He lived with his mum and his two sons, so we spent a lot of time at my place, with me bearing most of the expenses of our entertainment. It was nice having a man’s attention again in spite of that. My husband wasn’t the lovey-feely type. David was on the other hand, loving and attentive. He even helped in the house and took me places I needed to go if he were free. I was happy. What was wrong with that? At first I was selfconscious of my older body but his strong hands and great physique made my insecurities disappear. It was exhilarating to be desired by such a young, virile man - at my age!

“We spent most of our spare time together until I realised he wanted to go everywhere

with me. As we became more and more intimate, he became furious whenever I spoke to my male friends or whenever I took too long on the phone chatting to my children.

“I was so exasperated once that I told him off for being so insecured. He shoved me so hard that I landed on the sofa, my head hitting an arm of it. I was in shock. Had he really pushed me? As I struggled to get up, he helped me, apologising it was a mistake and he was sorry. I felt really embarrassed being turned into a punching bag by a man I was older than by 14 years.

“Whenever we went out after this, he began asserting some sort of authority, ordering me to get him drinks or sit with his friends. I couldn’t take much more of his bullying so I told him to sod off. A few days later, my eldest son came to the house. He said David came to his office to complain I’d used him for sex before dumping him! My face burnt with shame. I had to explain to him we were lovers and told him how I’d been treated. My son was really annoyed with me.

He said David warmed his way into my affection when I was most vulnerable. I told him we

were over - and I believed it.

But not David. He was bent on showing our friends what really happened between us.

“In the end I thought I would give him a taste of his own medicine. I knew his dad vaguely and went to pay him a visit. By this time, almost everybody I knew had been informed of our relationship and how hot I was in bed. His dad was a very nice man who lived with his second wife. He assured me he would have a word with his son and promised he would never embarrass me again. True to his word, David left me alone.

“At first, he insisted on coming over to personally apologise but I told him not to bother. I called his dad to thank him and let him know I didn’t want David around me under any circumstance.

“I don’t know who these toy boys think they are - beating up a woman just because she lowered her standard to have a relationship with you. Or maybe I was just unlucky. I know some of my friends who date younger men and they don’t have horrible stories to tell. For now, I’m trying to put this nasty experience behind me. Looking back, my heart is full of regrets. Losing my husband made me afraid, lonely and desperate. But thanks to the brute, I’ve realised that sometimes, it’s better to be on your own. “

08052201867(Text Only)

You are what you eat

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O be healthy and hearty our food must be wholesome and in the right quantity.

Eating anything and everything and too much of anything spells doom for our well-being. In the urban centres across the length and breadth of the world people are developing the diseases brought on

by Modern civilization and t’s attendant prosperity. To put it simply, people who are earning so much are getting more and more careless with their eating habits.

There are now a lot more people engaged in sedentary occupations than ever before with such people physical activity is nearly always at a minimum. But you see the body needs a certain minimum level of exercise. When this is denied the body, it soon begins a down-hill trip. And the inordinate amount of food consumed adds to the problem of deterioration.

It’s like this, when the body is given more than it needs in relation to its energy out-put the surplus calories translate as excess weight.

There must be balance as regards tissue building C M Y K

(anabolism) and tissue breaking down (catabolism) when one exceeds the other you have what is known as Metabolic inbalance leading to a

There must be the kind of living pattern that allows us to continuously cleans our system and forestall a build up of toxins build up of toxemia. There are two fundamental ways the body produces toxemia.

One is normal and natural to the function of the organism; the other we constantly contribute to knowingly or otherwise.

In the first place there is toxemia produced on account of the process of metabolism. The inner body never at a stand-still has billions of old cells being

replaced by new ones each day. The old cells needing replacement are toxic, meaning poisonous and must be gotten rid of by one of four means of elimination: skin, lungs bowels and bladder.

All this is normal and natural to the body and doesn’t have to worry us unless in a situation where this toxic waste is not being rid of at an equal rate to which it is being produced.

All what this process demands is ample energy at the body’s disposal.

The second means by which toxemia is produced in the body is from the byproducts of foods that have not gone through digestion and assimilation and become part of the cell structure.

The build up of this toxic waste will eventually lead to overweight. The problem doesn’t end there. Toxins are acidic in nature and the build up of acid makes the body require water to neutralise it bringing about more weight and bloat.

On a daily basis this finally brings us to the door step of obesity and all what it portends.

So now, we see that interference with the body ’s

elimination cycle is the forerunner of toxemia and overweight. And we can also understand that there must be the kind of living pattern that allows us to continuously cleans our system and forestall a build up of toxins.

To help us achieve this state of metabolic balance are the following food items that work against overweight: Carrot, lettuce, cucumber, tomato, orange, pear, plum, pineapple, beetroot, cabbage, grapes, lemon and strawberry.

Exercises to be practised to achieve the same end include CHAKRASANA for regularization of bowel movements and matsyendrasana the lateral spinal twist to stimulate the activity of the kidneys.

CHAKRASANA, or the wheel posture.

Technique: Lying flat on your back, draw in the knees and place your feet wide apart on the floor. Put your hands backward on the floor just below the shoulders. As you breathe in deeply, raise the entire body in the shape of a bridge. As you stay in this position respiration must be slow and deep. After 15 to 20 seconds,

lower the body, lie flat on your back and rest in a still fashion.

You may repeat this thrice.

MATSYENDRASANA or the lateral spinal twist.

Technique: Placing the left heel under the right thight which his lying horizontally on the ground put the right foot over the left thigh with the sole of the foot on the ground. As you turn the chest to the right put the

left arm in front of the left knee which is uprightly erect and grasp your left knee. Place the right hand across the middle of the back. As you stay in this posture your breathing must be of an even rhythm for some 30 seconds.

Change legs and arms and repeat on the other side.

Apart from the wonders it works on the kidneys and the digestive system, it is also said to restore strength to the nerves.

* The Wheel Posture

Yoga Classes STARTED Physical Therapy Centre @ 32 Adetokumbo Ademola, Victoria Island Lagos.

10.00am — 11.00am on Saturdays

PAGE 32—SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY 15, 2016

Town Hall Meeting is good but….

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utual distrust and suspicion between local communities and herdsmen is probably Nigeria’s most recent internal security challenge.

To specifically address the subject, the Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase has developed a strategic initiative of convening town hall meetings throughout the country to enhance the process of reassurance policing and the need for peaceful coexistence and sensitivity of each community’s value, space and interest. The goal is to utilize all Police formations in their respective locations to counter misinformation, anxiety and animosity being generated in relation to the challenge.

If police operatives that are deployed in every locality in the nation purposefully follow the directive, so much can be achieved. It is thus no doubt a well thought-out design of public enlightenment which many state governors have also been patronizing. For

instance, both at Abesan on October 06, 2015 and at the City Council Hall on January 19, 2016, Governor Ambode of Lagos used the strategy to get many Lagosians to appreciate his administration. It is gratifying that our Information Minister, Lai Mohammed has also joined the group.

Last Tuesday, Lai organized in Kaduna, a second town hall meeting in one month to enlighten Nigerians on government policies, programmes and projects as well as their challenges. The first in the series of the meetings was held in Lagos on April 25, 2016. With the gap between government and people still quite wide, the town hall meetings could not have come at a better time. There was so much to take-away from the LIVE broadcast of the meeting. It was an interactive session of people from different areas, occupations and thought processes. The ministers were fluent just as their messages were simple and PhD,Depar tment of Philosophy, University of Lagos 08116759758

A secular humanist critique of religion (4)

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y making morality a matter of acting according to rules purportedly set by a divine being, faith-based ethics ignores the most important component for developing moral consciousness or awareness, that is, making children learn appropriate moral principles through practical examples from parents, teachers and adults generally. If the humanist approach to morality, which gives primacy to the wellbeing and happiness of individuals on earth not to an imaginary blissful existence in paradise, becomes widespread, eventually a new generation of more reasonable human beings would emerge equipped with inner conviction that the rightness or wrongness of a given action cannot be rationally decided without considering its effects on sentient beings that might be affected by that very action.

Moral absolutism, which posits God as the ultimate foundation of morality, is clearly untenable. Thus, it is essential that each individual should periodically reexamine the moral principles he or she lives by, based on the recognition that morality is the product of human evolution and does not transcend the existential conditions peculiar to human

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beings in this world.

It is important to observe that religion is a doubleedged sword the sharpest and most penetrating side of which oftentimes cuts deeply into our capacity for tolerance. This is especially true of those religions that claim exclusive right to the one true God because God either founded the religion in question or sent a prophet, sometimes an avatar, to proclaim the doctrines that were written in the “holy scriptures.” The problem here is that the scriptures tend to condemn as sin unconventional behaviours and practices that do not really harm anyone, thereby providing a convenient alibi for fanatics to unleash violence on others in an orgy of religious purification.

Consider, for example, the harsh laws against blasphemy and apostasy, which exemplify the dark side of religious absolutism. One of the most bloodthirsty punishments in the Old Testament is the one enacted for blasphemy. In some Islamic countries, people are still being sentenced to death and executed for blasphemy.

But come to think of it, if someone commits apostasy or blasphemy, who is the victim of that offence such that the offender deserves to be killed? If I say negative

clear. Indeed, it brought out the best of government and as one analyst concluded, no one ever knew that Interior Minister, Abdurahman Dambazzau was that knowledgeable and conversant with his schedule. More importantly was Oil minister, Ibe Kachukwu’s humane presentation which began with an apology to the nation on the pains citizens were going through particularly with fuel scarcity. Rotimi Amaechi

So far, all the tension is coming from the APC, only God knows how the state will fare if the opposition adds its own. We are therefore constrained to call on Governor Adams Oshiomhole to write his name in gold by bringing an end (Transportation) and Babatunde Fashola, (Power, Works and Housing) were similarly applauded at the earlier Lagos meeting.

However, the design can be better handled. Contents of town hall meetings cannot get to a sizeable percentage of the people. To start with, the halls take only a few people making it obvious that government probably expects that those who hear will tell others. things about God or make caricature of a prophet who died more than a thousand years ago, can anybody reasonably accuse me of a criminal offence deserving capital punishment? Who really is the actual victim of that offence? Supposing God is omnipotent and omniscient, as believers claim, why should religious fanatics arrogate to themselves the right to kill for God who, if he is indeed a merciful God, can decide to forgive the blasphemer? And what harm could one possibly have done to a dead prophet if he publishes a hilarious cartoon or irreverent comments about him? The whole thing about punishing someone for blasphemy is clearly absurd, mainly because it is an offence without a genuine victim. The way I see it, blasphemy and apostasy laws are relics of primitive human abnegation, and the punishments they impose are just the sublimation of cruel impulses and desire to inflict severe punishment on those bold enough to challenge religious orthodoxy without the natural feeling of revulsion that usually accompanies the taking of human life for no good reason.

Secular humanists have questioned the obdurate opposition of religion to m a s t u r b a t i o n , homoeroticism and euthanasia, which reveals much about the sort of moral orientation inspired by faith.

Of course, a humanist can articulate or accept reasonable criticism of these practices especially when cases of abuse are established.

However, to proscribe and severely punish masturbators, homosexuals, and doctors involved in euthanasia just because some passages in an ancient literature designated as “holy book” condemns those practices is, to put it very

Such a posture premised on the 2-step flow theory in mass communication cannot guarantee overwhelming awareness to large audiences. Besides, quite often, what attendees retain is neither all that was said nor is it always what was exactly said. We also need to remember that we are all not equally endowed and that sometimes some people genuinely understand the opposite meaning of a message. In other cases, some people understand a message only after hearing it several times which suggests that public enlightenment is not a touch and go affair. It is a subject which is best handled by professional mobilizers and not top government officials who execute the policies. As a result, Lai Mohammed’s town hall meetings are good as a take-off point but they must be re-echoed, repackaged and represented in different languages and different fora such as palaces, village squares, markets and most importantly from house to house. This is an area where the National Orientation Agency (NOA) which has an office in every local government area nationwide is comparatively advantaged.

If our information minister is truly desirous of attracting attention to d e v e l o p m e n t communication which focuses on national development rather than adversarial journalism, he

must appropriately empower the relevant information agencies. This would enable a body like NOA which is professionally trained on grassroots mobilization to take over at the end of the geopolitical zonal meetings and take the messages to all nooks and crannies. One obvious reason why NOA is better positioned to do the assignment is that opposition political parties can easily controvert and thwart the ministers’ efforts.

It was for this reason that the law setting up the NOA provided that politicians were not to be allowed in the service of the Agency even at the policy level of its chairman or Director General. But successive governments have continued to foist on the Agency, their party loyalists and political campaign operatives thereby adversely affecting the Agency’s credibility. If allowed to function as envisaged by its founding fathers to which this writer belongs, NOA will be an asset to government in bridging the gap between it and the people.

While disseminating government information, the Agency is expected to speak to the people not in Queen’s English but in the language they understand. In Kaduna last week it was announced that arrangements were being made to translate to the people what ministers have to say in future town hall meetings. This is in earnest an admission that the current mode of communication is not the

ideal. With NOA, the officials are not translators, they are indigenes known to the people and believed by them. In addition, the officials are mandated to carry the messages from house to house, just as they are obliged to summarize the reactions of the people along with highlights of happenings in each locality to government every week in what is officially known as “the mood of the nation” report. In my time, this assignment qualified the Director General of the Agency to become a member of the Federal Government’s Joint Intelligence Board (JIB) Government must however not make the mistake of seeking to publicise only what it has done or is doing; the role which the people can play to make public policy succeed must always be similarly emphasized. For example, at the Kaduna meeting, the revelation that over 5million Nigerians were engaged in illegal mining was quite instructive more so as the minister of Solid Mineral resources, Kayode Fayemi affirmed that his ministry was ready to formalise the sector as well as register and organise the miners into cooperative societies for easy financing.

Unknown to Fayemi he was an instant winner of converts for national development. In all, we must give kudos to Lai Mohammed’s posture on public enlightenment.

mildly, ridiculous. Take the case of homoeroticism: for a secular humanist, what two consenting adults do in private sexually, which harms no one, is their private business. But for a purist moraliser operating under the canopy of Christianity or

human interests to the whims and caprices of an irascible anthropomorphic deity.

All this stems from the distorted worldview explicitly stated in religions that man was created in God’s image.

The cosmologies of Abrahamic religions in particular present an exaggerated picture of our place in the universe by making us the centrepiece of God’s creation. Leaving aside the contentious assumption that God exists, research findings in cosmology and biology do not support the idea that humans are the pinnacle of evolution. In otherwords, every organism is unique and special; none is exempt from the mechanism of evolution.

Therefore, dogmatic belief in the pre-eminent position ascribed to humans by religion reflects anthropomorphic conceit inherent in our being, borne out of fear and refusal to take seriously the important results from the relevant sciences.

Bertrand Russell, in his book, Unpopular Essays, described an imaginary but highly plausible scenario of grazing cows in a field near a railway line which, in my opinion, accurately captures the silly mentality created and nourished by religion.

According to Russell, if you pass in a train a field containing grazing cows, you may sometimes see them running away in terror as the train moves on. One of the cows, if it were a Christian or Muslim, would argue: “Everything in my own desires and hopes and fears has reference to myself because God created cows in his own image. Hence, from the revealed word of God I can conclude that everything in the universe has reference to myself. This noisy train, therefore, intends to do me either good or evil. I cannot suppose that it intends to do me good, since it comes in such

a terrifying form, which represents the purpose of the Evil One against children of God. Consequently, as a prudent cow, I shall endeavour to escape from it.”

If someone explains to this religious ruminant that the train does not intend to leave the rails and is totally indifferent to the fate of cows, the animal would conclude that the devil is out to deceive him. A train that wishes him neither well nor ill would seem more cold and horribly terrifying than a train that wishes him ill. Similarly, the flow of life sometimes brings good fortune, sometimes misfortune, to human beings.

But religious and superstitious people generally cannot believe that this happens by accident. Going back to the cows and train analogy, one of the cows, having known of a companion who strayed onto the railway tracks and was killed by a passing train would reflect, like a typical believer, that the unfortunate cow has been punished by the God of the railway. To prevent such misfortune occurring in future, he would begin to worship the God of the railway so that his priests or imams can put a fence along the tracks. Over time, generations of cows would continue the tradition of worship, and persecute those who refuse to acknowledge the railway God as their personal lord and saviour.

It would take several large volumes to describe in details why secular humanists tend to dislike religion, especially the Abrahamic variety, so much. The main point is that religion has done more harm than good since it was invented over seven thousand years ago. Therefore, secular humanists should continue to chip away at irrational faith: the survival of our species is at stake.

Concluded.

The cosmologies of Abrahamic religions in particular present an exaggerated picture of our place in the universe by making us the centrepiece of God’s creation

Islam, such activity assumes a transcendental significance, because he or she is obsessed with what others do (or even think) in private that is not in conformity with the suffocating morality of religion. Former President Goodluck Jonathan was actually responding to the wishes of Nigerian Taliban when he signed into law the ill-conceived legislation passed by the National Assembly, which outlawed homoeroticism and stipulated stiff punishments for those found guilty of the offence. In this connection, the tragic suicide of Alan Turing, the British mathematician who helped the Allies defeat Adolf Hitler and his murderous Third Reich by cracking German Enigma military codes is a permanent indictment of religion-motivated legislations that subordinate

SUNDAY Vanguard, MAY 15, 2016, PAGE 33

08116759757

Esan leaders seek fair representation

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM

E

BEWARE

Imported frozen poultry can kill — Exper ts

BY CHIOMA OBINNA

T

he National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, has warned that consumption of imported frozen poultry products may lead to cancer, kidney diseases and hypertension.

Unfortunately, the warning has not deterred many Nigerians from consuming them.

According to a former NAFDAC Director-General, Dr Paul Orhii, the risk in the products comes as a result of substances that can predispose one to kidney, liver and lung diseases as well as certain types of cancer and drug resistant bacterial infections among others. Medical experts believe that consumption of the products can be a silent-killer because they may not show symptoms before attacking.

Apart from the health implications of the products, the importation also impedes local poultry production as farmers have to contend with low market demand.

Findings have shown that about 50 million Nigerians eat imported chicken, turkey and fishes almost on a daily basis.

According to a veterinary expert, Dr. Tito Adebanjo, the use of formalin, a chemical used to embalm corpses and other dangerous substances, to preserve the poultry products, is a cancercausing chemical also capable of causing liver and kidney diseases.

“There is little or no mechanisms at our sea ports to screen or detect the residues of chemicals used in the frozen meat being imported to Nigeria, yet the foods find their way to our markets for consumption.

Even the ones produced C M Y K

The risk in the products comes as a result of substances that can predispose one to kidney, liver and lung diseases as well as certain types of cancer and drug resistant bacterial infections among others locally, no one really tests them, let alone find out the level of drug residues in them before they are sold to unsuspecting members of the public,” Adebanjo explained He stated that the chemicals can be divided into two segments: Those added to animals’ feeds or injected into them and the preservatives used on the animals’ meat after they are slaughtered.

“Some of these chemicals can predispose one to cancer, hypertension or cause

antibiotic resistance in man.

The relentless drive to produce more animals by some farmers – abroad or locally – in less time at lower cost, is responsible for the routine and indiscriminate use of antimicrobial drugs in animal, including arsenicals, antibiotics, and other compounds,” the veterinary doctor, who specialises in food hygiene, food safety and zoonoses, added.

“The concern, therefore, besides the effects on the livestock industry, is the fact that many analogues of these antibiotics are

used in disease management in humans and could consequently add to the development of crossresistance to antimicrobials administered in human health.

“Though the fact that the public may not be aware of the magnitude of the health hazards resulting from consuming meat containing drug residue, that does not imply the adverse effects should not be of serious concern.

What often happens is that the chemicals used in the preservation of these foods build up and serve as free agents in the body. Besides, they subsequently break the body down through one disease or another.

“Many a time, drug withdrawal periods are not observed or there is over-dosage or under-dosage of these chemicals when used by quacks. The drugs, therefore, accumulate in the meat obtained from such animals. Possible bioaccumulation occurs when these residues present in the animal tissues accumulate continuously over the lifespan of the individuals through prolonged consumption. This is of potential concern in Nigeria where animals’ meat constitutes a major source of animal protein.”

Similarly, the President, Poultry Association of Nigeria, Dr. Ayoola Oduntan, who urged the Federal Government to curb the menace, noted that smuggled chicken is responsible for several health issues experienced in the country, “due to the presence of high level of bacteria in the chicken coupled with high toxic chemicals that are used to preserve it just to ensure it

gets to our market at cheaper rates.”

Also, an investment analyst, Mr. John Ayodele explained that the fact that the foods are smuggled and massively consumed indicates that there is a wide gap in the local market that needs to be bridged.

According to him, that gap is not as a result of the inefficiency of poultry owners but due to lack of patronage on

the part of consumers.

“Operators have invested in slaughtering and de-feathering machinery, packaging and storage facilities as well as marketing strategies to convince Nigerians to patronise their safer and more nutritious products.

“This is a viable money making idea for Nigerians, especially the ones in Diaspora seeking viable businesses to set up in Nigeria. Home based Nigerians looking for what to do in retirement can also consider this business. The unemployed Nigerian graduate, who can put on his thinking cap, can also set up in this business, starting small,” he said.

Ayodele added that Nigeria has no business importing frozen poultry, which can easily be produced at home to provide employment and create wealth for her citizens. “If patronized, operators can reduce the unemployment rate by over two million in one month and that will just be the beginning in Nigeria,” he added.

Also, an economist, Dr. Olusola Owoeye, explained that Nigerian consumption is put at 1.5million tonnes, while production is estimated to be about 350,000mt tones, leaving a demand and supply gap of 1.2million tones, which is met through smuggling. He stated that to fully utilise the balance of the industry’s installed capacity of additional 350,000mt will translate to significant benefits through more job creation in form of 350,000 new jobs in maize production, 75,000 new jobs in processing and 500,000 new jobs in ancillary raw materials, products and services.

“Reducing smuggling by just 30 percent would result in the creation of about one million jobs. The future of the Nigerian poultry industry hinges delicately on firm decisions on the part of the policy makers to reverse the current unwholesome trends that tend to tilt the balance more in favour of smugglers while putting the local producers in jeopardy. The investments of local producers need urgent safeguard and support that would enable them to remain competitive in the face of smugglers onslaught,” he stated.

SAN elders, under the aus pices of Esan Leaders of Though, rose from a meeting, yesterday, alleging that the senatorial district is being marginalized by the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led administration in Edo State and demanded that the governorship be ceded to the zone or no deal with the APC. The elders, led by Chief Francis Inegbeneki, a chieftain of the APC, lamented that other senatorial districts have benefited more than Edo Central, adding that they were being treated like second class citizens in the state.

“It is the turn of Edo Central Senatorial district to produce the next governor of the state as it is the zone that has never produce a governor since the creation of Edo state. Edo South having produce two governors in the persons of chief John Odigie-Oyegun and Chief Lucky Nosakhare Igbinedion and Edo North producing the current Governor Comrade Adams Oshiomhole who is on the verge of completing his two tenure of eight years,” he stated.

“That all future appointments and employment in the state must reflect fair representation and federal character in the interest of justice. A united Edo will better serve the interest of all in the long term than any sectional and divisive agenda that is currently being pursued as a state policy, as there is strength in unity , most especially in theface of stiff competition among ethnic nationalities in the country.

The group, while expressing concern over the political development in the state, called on President Muhammadu Buhari and the National Chairman of the APC, Chief John Oyegun to urgently intervene so as to ensure that Edo state being the only APC sate in the South South zone does not fall to the opposition PDP in the forthcoming governorship election.

Lawmaker empowers 70 senior citizens

BY DAYO JOHNSON

A

member of the House of Rep resentatives, Hon. Babatunde Kolawole, yesterday, donated 22 blocks of market stalls to his community in Akoko South West council area of Ondo State.

Kolawole equally empowered 70 aged people from three wards in his constituency with N5,000 monthly stipend.

Speaking during the commissioning of the project at Ayepe, Kolawole warned his party, APC, against picking a wrong candidate for the November governorship election in the state.

Kolawole specifically said the party “must not allow any aspirant, who cannot win his polling unit to emerge as the candidate in the poll”.

According to him, the success of the party in the coming governorship election would be determined by the candidate picked by the party.

He particularly said the party should be looking at someone who has structures in all the 18 local governments and who would be generally accepted by the electorate.

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EYESORE

‘50 million Nigerians openly defecate’ •R ur al dweller s’ silent re volution •Rur ural dwellers’ revolution against killer-diseases'

BY BUKI PONLE

I

f you reside in a village where you consume brown, muddy water drawn from a pond shared with cows and goats, with your surroundings enveloped in repugnant smell from open defecation, you are already a candidate for diseases and death.

Even, if you keep neat surroundings but indulge in gulping water from questionable sources, you need no physician to tell you that your health is already compromised.

These were the stark realities in most Nigerian communities as a result of unwholesome hygiene habits, dearth of safe water, compounded by ignorance, until about two years ago when new improved sanitation and hygiene practices started gaining momentum.

From generation to generation, open defecation in rural communities was a non-issue. The young and the old relished in it, for they never linked its consequences to the prevailing diseases killing children, and even the adult, especially women. ‘’We defecated openly in surrounding bushes because that was the way our forebears lived and out of ignorance, would run to native doctors when diseases struck,’’ recalls 54-year-old Chief Akanmu Karimu, head of Oke Akeju village in Opeji community, Odeda Local Government Area of Ogun State, south-west Nigeria. ‘’Our source of drinking water was a river which traverses our village, and although we usually kept its surroundings neat, upstream villagers defecated in it while cattle also drank from it.’’

Experts say ingesting a gramme

C M Y K

of faeces deposited by houseflies on uncovered food is like eating 10 million viruses, one million bacteria, 1,000 parasite cysts and 100 parasite eggs.

This can cause typhoid, cholera, hepatitis, polio, pneumonia, fatal worm infestation, trachoma, stunted physical development and impaired cognitive functions.

Statistics also indicate that diarrhoea kills at least 150,000 children yearly, while under-five mortality is high in Nigeria where 157 out of 1,000 babies born die before they celebrate their fifth birthday.

No wonder, villagers’ participation in economy, politics, sports as well as schooling activities are greatly hampered when much of their time and money was spent attending to diseases and deaths.

They are now saying, ‘Enough is enough’.

Consequently, a silent revolution has started sweeping across. From Sokoto to Cross River, from Adamawa to Ogun and Ekiti, in Benue and in Akwa Ibom, villagers are fast removing the toga of dirt, and wearing the immaculate dress of cleanliness. Villagers are being introduced to Community-Led Total Sanitation, or CLTS, an approach which discourages open defecation but promotes proper hand washing with water, soap or ash as well as building pit latrines and maintaining neat surroundings.

Communities are encouraged to own the programme through the establishment of Water and Sanitation Committees or WASHCOMs whose members spread the health messages in each community.

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), which plays a vital role in advancing the implementation of CLTS across the country, says 50 million Nigerians

Experts say ingesting a gramme of faeces deposited by houseflies on uncovered food is like eating 10 million viruses, one million bacteria, 1,000 parasite cysts and 100 parasite eggs openly defecate while more than 100 million others are without access to improved sanitation.

It notes that more than 66 million people are relying on unsafe water, with water and sanitation coverage as low as 58 per cent and 31 per cent respectively.

UNICEF and the European Union, in partnership with each state government, are providing water and sanitation facilities in villages, schools and even in camps of Internally Displaced Persons across the country.

Consider the reality at Ilu Omooba, a peasant community in Ekiti State in South-West, where the life and ambition of 12-year-old Timilehin Fayomi could have been truncated but for the introduction of the simple hand-washing practice in his primary school.

Prior to the introduction,

Timilehin took ill, apparently from the dirty hygiene habits at school which was surrounded by open defecation by nearby residents, as well as at home. The top-flight boy missed classes and could no longer cope academically.

His head teacher, Mrs Victoria Fatoyinbo, remarks: ‘’In 2014, my school participated in a handwashing programme organised by UNICEF. Following that, we established a Health Club where health messages were internalised in the school and shared among community members, including the Parent-Teacher Association. ‘’Timilehin’s family members were beneficiaries of the health programme, and today, the boy has bounced back academically. For us, the improved sanitation and hygiene practices are the best that has happened to our school of 349 pupils, as we are now opendefecation free, complemented by the sinking of a borehole in the school.’’

In Mbanabe community in Fufore LGA, Adamawa State in the north east, engaging in water, sanitation and hygiene practices have extricated the villagers from these barbaric and odious practice of open defecation while a bore hole has replaced the pond which had over the years, served as their main source of supply. The village head, Malam Musa Isa says: ‘’one noticeable observation is improvement in health status of children who often broke down and would not take the cattle for grazing. Now school attendance has risen and hospital attendance has tumbled in the community.’’

They also believe that with adequate supply of safe water, bilharzia diseases which had been the unwanted companion at a nearby Wurobiriji community for many years, will be on its way out.

Full attendance and high intellectual performance are guaranteed in Sabongari Gilrs’ Primary School in Fufore, hitherto shunned for lack of safe water, especially when many of these girls are in their monthly periods.

Complemented by latrines and a bore hole, these girls now dream of luxuriously-pampered ambitions because of the conducive learning environment.

Of striking importance in rural

water provision in Adamawa State is the ever willing communities to give their counterpart contributions, as narrated by community heads in Fufore Local Government Area and corroborated by the Programme Manager of the state rural water and sanitation agency, Malam Halilu Mohammed. ‘’When you ask them for their contributions, they produce the money the following day. This act has helped in procuring water to the 21 LGAs, while many of the 372 communities are fast assuming open-defecation status,’’ Mohammed says.

Even persons with disabilities in Shendam and Riyom communities in Plateau, in north central are not left out of the campaign for improved sanitation and hygiene practices. ‘’For me, the health of my people is paramount, and if my community has to progress from my disability, I will give it all,’’ says 36-year-old Danladi Dambo, whose loss of a leg will not dissuade him from being a natural leader and member of WASHCOM in his Tigi Community of Riyom, Plateau State, since 2014 when the programme was introduced.

The villagers are saying that if provided with half of the opportunities that abound in urban communities, the sky will be their limit.

Undoubtedly, provision of potable water and improved sanitation and hygiene practices is expected to give rise to a healthy rural population. With the health revolution spreading like wild fires, life in rural communities is becoming enviable, hoping to halt rural-urban migration, and enhancing social, political and economic development, but most of all, adding value to the survival, protection, development and participation of children.

* Ponle, a former Director at News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), is an independent writer

Delta communities commend firm over employment

T

he people of Inikorogha and Bafan communities in Warri South West local government area, have commended the management of Ocean Marine Solution for engaging some indigenes of both communities in pipelines security.

In a statement yesterday in Warri, signed by Chairman of Inikorogha community, Comrade Christopher Ejoh, Chief Isaiah Ukulor and Chief Felix Ejoh, the communities assured of peaceful and friendly environment for the operations of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation,NNPC, and Nigerian Gas Company,NGC. They also appealed to Ocean Marine Solution not to be discouraged with the recent attacks on part of its pipelines by suspected militants, urging the firm to sustain the pipeline surveillance job of which many of their indigenes are beneficiaries.

They condemned the pipeline attacks, which part of it was commissioned recently by Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, after the repairs by Ocean Marine Solution,

SUNDAY Vanguard, MAY 15, 2016, PAGE 35 08116759757

Assassins from Ondo after us over my husband’s refusal to lead ritualists’ team — Lagos mother of two •Says hubby is missing

BY ABIODUN ALADE

U

nknown gunmen have attacked a mother of two at Fashakin community in Shomolu Local Government Area

of Lagos.

The mother, Mrs Aderonke Oloyede, was attacked at her residence. The incident was confirmed by the spokesman for Lagos State Police Command, SP Oladapo Badmus.

It was gathered that the gunmen, brandishing dangerous weapons that included cutlasses, machetes and locally made guns, attacked Mrs Oloyede along with her two children,Subomi and Deborah.

An eyewitness, who narrated the incident, stated that the gunmen gained entrance into the victims’ house at about 10:00pm, on Tuesday, went into their rooms and opened fire on them.

Speaking at the Shomolu General Hospital on who she suspected to have carried out the attack, Mrs Oloyede, who had injured parts of her body in bandage, stated that it was not the first time her family had been attacked by unknown gunmen. She said: “Since my

husband, Mr Samuel Oloyede, went missing in 2014, we have been attacked by gunmen three times.

It was because of the attack that we left Lagos for

‘T hild-centred learning, ‘Tooys will aid cchild-centred preser ve national herit age’ preserve heritage’ conventional education.

Our Lift n Learn Nigeria Puzzle is readily available.

Our toys are simple, very intuitive and are designed with educational merit to nurture creativity, imagination and youthful innovation.

Play is the most effective teaching methodology for children. We believe it’s imperative to focus minds on Nigeria and Africa from an early age. Our target audience is primarily children however by associating with adults, children engage the minds of adults also.

There are ultimately no age limits with our tools.

BY ABIODUN ALADE

M

rs Bunmi Williams s the founder/CEO of Ethan and Harriet.

The company which was founded in 2015, design and manufacture Nigerianthemed educational toys with the aim of promoting pride and knowledge of Nigeria in a fun way through play which ties in with its slogan ‘Knowledge Through Play’. In this interview, she explains the needs for educational toys in aiding learning and reasoning. i

What motivated your interest in children’s educational toys?

There seems to be a disconnect between many Africans and their heritage and a lack of knowledge as it pertains to African history being passed on to children.

Ethan and Harriet intends to bridge this gap by educating children through toys which would in turn impart knowledge to our children.

From Nigerian to a broader African context we aim to promote education and knowledge about our rich heritage.

Bridging this divide has motivated us to engage children through play.

What are the benefits of children’s educational toys, especially how it aids learning and reasoning?

C M Y K

Research suggests that children learn a lot even while playing and toys form a significant segment of play play invariably ends up being the most effective way to learn.

Education through this medium tends to be subconscious at times but remain ingrained in the minds of children.

How are you using the educational toys to promote African values and cultures?

Our flagship toy is the Lift n Learn Nigeria Puzzle - a game that shows all the Nigerian states, capitals, motto, number of local government areas in each state and land size per state.

The puzzle imparts this knowledge to adults and children in a fun and exciting way not considered as

How schools, government and other stakeholders in the education sector can benefits and key into the project Reinforcing our heritage is a joint effort - from parents to schools to the government and beyond we collectively need to address this concern which has been chipping away at the fabric of our history. We have found out that children are better equipped these days to speak about nonNigerian history. While we encourage a global historical perspective, we are staunch believers that it shouldn’t be to the detriment of our rich heritage.

To this end, we are working with the government, across the three tiers (Federal, State and Local), schools, NGOs and parents to engage children to adopt these learning methods through play as they certainly aim to restore knowledge that comes with our rich heritage.

Kwara State in 2015. “I believe those behind the attack are the same people who are after my husband since he refused to take over his late father’s position as the chief in charge of rituals in a town in Ondo State. When the attackers came, they were asking for my husband. It was after I told them I didn’t know where he was that they attacked me with machete.”

A family member, Chief Nurudeen Daniel, confirmed that Mrs Oloyede was also hospitalised recently after some unknown gunmen attacked her.

Daniel added that the gunmen escaped after dropping a note that indicated that unless the woman provided her son for a ritual for a dead monarch, she would continue to suffer. “They came in two vehicles, a white Hilux van and a sports utility vehicle; they said they came from Ondo State to fetch her son, Samuel. We saw two men with grey hair in the Hilux van who they claimed were the chiefs who were to perform the ritual, but they did not allow us to go near the vehicles,” he said.

The latest attack has created tension in the Fashakin community as residents staged a protest in front of the Shomolu Police Station in solidarity with of the hapless family.

However, Lagos State Police Command has promised to find those behind the attack, saying policemen had been deployed to the area to avoid a repeat of the incident. The police asked the people of the community to remain calm and support security agencies to investigate the attack and apprehend perpetrators.

2016 Book Fair

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o reduce the impact of the ad verse economic situation on the turn out at the ongoing 15th edition of the Nigeria International Book Fair at the Multipurpose Hall University of Lagos, organizers have announced new things that participants will see at the fair.

Rilwanu Abdusalami, Chairman, Nigeria Book Fair Trust, in a speech read on his behalf by Babs Fashanu, Vice Chairman, told newsmen in Lagos that innovations were in place at the fair. First is the restructuring of exhibition stands with

more facilities. Rilwan said this year, some exhibition stands had been reconstructed to add more beauty to them. More facilities are also added to the stands to make them more attractive to exhibitors. There were also plans to arrange Cyber Cafés for exhibitors. This is to make the internet facility available and accessible to the exhibitors. The Book Fair Trust also arranged with a company in the hospitality industry to get discounted hotel accommodation for those coming to the fair from outside Lagos.

L-R: Vice Chairman, Nigerian Book Fair Trust, Mr. Babs Fashanu; Past Chairman, NBFT, Mr.Samuel Kolawole ; and pioneer Executive Secretary, Mr. Tunji Okegbola, during a press conference on the 2016 Nigerian International Book Fair, in Lagos... on Thursday. NBFT

Vice Chairlady, Mrs Folashade Osibajo, Nigeria Union of Tailors, Meiran Model Zone, Abule-Egba, Lagos; Mr. Taofeek Olalekan, Vice Chairman (right); Mrs. Babalola Titilayo, Chairlady (5th from left); Mr, Saburi Onifade (6th from left); Alhaji Oluwalolese Oseni, Chairman (4th from right); Mr Olayiwola Jonathan (3rd from right), and other members of the association during the union’s 5th anniversary.

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Enugu: 17 new roads spark excitement *Tension over trucks’bizarre parking

BY FRANCIS IGATA, ENUGU

M

otorists and residents at Amaeke,Ngwo in Udi Local Government Area of Enugu State are tensed up following the activities of articulated vehicles who double-park on a single lane road while waiting to load alcoholic beverages from a brewery.

The road, referred to as Old Road which motorists ply, to and from Enugu-Onitsha, has witnessed increased volume of traffic, occasioned by the deterioration of the express road.

At the Amaeke section of the Old Road connecting Udi-Oji River-Awka, trucks park indiscriminately leaving little space for vehicles to meander and forcing traffic gridlock as two vehicles cannot pass simultaneously.

Sunday Vanguard found that the situation, which had caused accidents that claimed lives, can be ameliorated by the brewery’s fixing of the road.

Further findings revealed that the trucks’ plying of the road, to load alcoholic beverages at the firm, is largely responsible for the decrepit condition of the 9th Mile Corner Road as a result of the tonnages they bring to bear on the fragile road.

The management of the brewery, many residents believe, could have acquired land as loading depot where the trucks can park without obstructing the road.

Chukwu Paulinus, a commercial vehicle driver, who plies the road regularly, told Sunday Vanguard, “All these trucks constituting a nuisance are time-bombs waiting to explode.

This road is now busier than before because the express road is impassable. Motorists now use this Old Road as alternative; that is why the traffic volume has increased.

“Two vehicles coming from opposite

directions cannot pass through the small space left at the same time.

One has to wait for the other to pass.

The brewery should have acquired a space where the trucks will park and take turns to load rather than subject the entire public to this harrowing experience.

“There is no day that passes that hundreds of these trucks do not line up to load. Their activities have equally affected the condition of the roads around here. Government should set up a task force to get the trucks to park elsewhere so that the road can be free. Above all, this situation causes accidents and cannot be allowed to continue”.

Ugwuanyi plans 14 new roads Meanwhile, the people of Enugu State have expressed satisfaction at the pace of work on reconstruction projects embarked upon by Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi aimed at transforming rural communities.

This came even as they eulogized Ugwuanyi’s administration for ensuring fiscal discipline to free

resources for capital projects in the face of the harsh economic realitiesing the nation.

Sunday Vanguard’s visit to Penoks-Nike Lake Road-T Junction,Abakpa-Nike-Abakpa Junction and Opi Nsukka Road showed that construction work had gone beyond sixty per cent completion, while quality control personnel were on hand to monitor the projects.

Meanwhile, Ugwuanyi has, through the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure, invited for Expression of Interest (E.O.I) from contractors to bid for the construction of 14 new roads, five boreholes, two hospitals and five schools.

Reacting, a cross section of Enugu State indigenes, who spoke on the development, described the governor ’s development initiatives as a welcome development that came at a time most states are battling to pay workers’ salaries because of the glut in the prices of crude

oil in the global market.

They commended the governor for his vision, innovations and commitment to the well-being of the citizenry.

An indigene of Amechi-Idodo in Nkanu East Local Government Area, Hon. Ekene Nnamani, said, “The news of the commencement of the process for the award of more road projects in Enugu State in spite of the current economic challenges is quite awesome and commendable. It shows that Governor Ugwuanyi has our interest at heart. It also shows that he was prepared for the job and has a clear vision on how to move the state forward despite the economic hardship. I thank God for such a committed governor”.

Another indigene from Aninri Local Government Area, Engr. Uchenna Ekpete, said: “I can only describe the governor’s moves to award more road contracts as the height of sensitivity to the plight of the people who voted him into office. I commend him for his steadfastness to the accord he had with the people, which is to reward them with good governance irrespective of any circumstance. I wish him and his team well” Some of the roads advertised are Ugbawka – Nara-Nkerefi road (phase 1) and Amechi –IdodoAmuzam – Amagunze road (phase 1) in Nkanu East Local Government Area; Uhuogiri- Nenwe/Oduma road (phase 1) and Amaeguelu – Amumkpa - Ogbombara/EtitiamaOnuihiala road (phase 1) in Aninri L.G.A; Enugu AkwuAchi – Nkwolnyi market road (phase 1) in Oji River L.G.A; 9th mile –AjaliImeziowa Local Government Headquarters- Aguobu-OwaAwka North, Anambra road (phase 1) in Ezeagu L.G.A, among others.

N20B BOND: How Kwara varsity, 938 water projects, industrial park, others will benefit — Gov. Ahmed •Says ‘The Hub will transform state’

BY DEMOLA AKINYEMI

T

here are not the best of times for many states across the federation following the harsh economic situation whiich has brought about free fall of monthly allocations from the Federation Account.

Kwara State can be said to be a major casualty, being a core civil servant state,that has been experiencing severe drop in the allocations for about two years now.

The state Commissioner for Finance, Mr Demola Banu, has never failed to say how much was received and the modus operandi for sharing and also the various strategies the administration was adopting to meet challenges.

Among such strategies is the creation of Kwara Internally Revenue Service.

The strategy is designed to block leakages in revenue collection.

It now rakes in N5b monthly, as against a little above N2b the revenue services used to generate annually.

Consequently, Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed has been making funds available for critical infrastructures Kwara people.

The state government, in February, paid N2.4billion to contractors handling over

C M Y K

•Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed 35 road projects spread across the state, while charging them to ensure speedy completion of the projects.

Some of the projects include the Aduralere-Isalekoko-Ojagboro-Sanu Sheu Road, Henry George-Agbo-Oba Road, Henry George-Unilorin Mini campus Road, Ita-Alamu village Road, Oloro Palace Road, Share-Oke Ode (lot 1), Share-Oke Ode (lot 2), Kishi-Kaiama

Road, Egbejila Road, Ilorin, Arobadi Magida Road in Moro LG, Baboko Market Road, Ilesha BarubaGwanara Road, Rore-Ipetu Road, three span bridges in Ilala, Ifelodun LG, Oniju Street, Babanloma in Ifelodun LG and Anilelerin Road, Offa.

Meanwhile, at a recent meeting with the All Progressives Congress (APC) stakeholders in Ilorin, the state capital, Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed announced that, with the approval of the state’s N20 billion infrastructural development bond by the Debt Management Office (DMO), government will soon kick start major developmental projects, noting that the tempo of infrastructural development in the state would be accelerated.

The N20bn bond is part of the N56bn budgeted by the state government to finance capital expenditure in the 2016 fiscal year.

Some of the projects tied to the bond, the governor said, include the expansion of some major roads in the state capital, construction of two new campuses for Kwara State University in Ilesha-Baruba and Osi in Baruten and Ekiti local

government areas respectively, construction of overhead bridge at Garin Alimi, construction of KishiKaiama road, dualisation of Michael Imoudu to Ganmo road in Ilorin, and construction, equipping and fitting of New KWASU School of Business and Governance.

Others are renovation and equipping of the Ilorin Stadium Indoor Sports Hall, Equipping and Training for the International Vocational Centre, Ajase Ipo, renovation of Oro General Hospital and four other cottage hospitals, renovation of 481 old classrooms and 318 new ones at secondary level, contribution to the construction and equipping of the Kwara Textile Industrial Park, compliance with Contributory Pension Scheme and sinking of 938 boreholes.

The governor assured that his administration will continue to put in place infrastructures to attract investors and create employment opportunities for the youth, which, according to him, will ensure economic growth.

He emphasized that he is committed to fulfilling his campaign promises.

Ahmed disclosed that the state government was looking at exploiting agriculture, solid minerals and commerce as platforms for economic sustenance.

SUNDAY Vanguard, MAY, 15, 2016, PAGE 37

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PAGE 38—SUNDAY Vanguard, MAY 15, 2016

EDO 2016: PDP must learn from the mistakes of the past – Edebiri

By Gabriel Enogholase, Benin

C

HIEF Solomon Edebiri is one of the four governorship aspirants vying for the PDP’s ticket in the September 10, 2016 gubernatorial election in Edo State. In this interview, he speaks about the challenges facing him, the intrigues and strategies employed by aspirants to win the party’s ticket , his promises to Edo people and his plan to win the governorship ticket.

Excerpts How has it been so far the race to the primaries of your party?

It has been very interesting, so much to learn; the intrigues, the antics, the various strategies, the school of thoughts . For me it is an absolutely whole load of experience. Comparing the industry where I am coming from, looking at the sentiment people have for those of us coming from the professional setting, business setting into politics and having to match against those who see themselves as professional politicians who have been around in government, and of course, they know that we see things differently as professionals will see things. So we have challenges with getting immediately accepted by leaders, especially the critical few who think you have to be a core politician to play the right politics.

But I feel completely different because we should begin to tilt towards the desire of the people, we should not be focused on some people’s interest; we should begin to focus on the common man of who’s reason democracy was established, which is said to be the government of the people, for the people and by the people. And if the people are out of this equation, it is a completely incomplete equation.

That is what we fight. We are saying that people must be in charge of who rule them, of who govern them, of who decide things for them by the day, of who takes their fate, put it on the balance. The people must be at the core centre of the whole game. And getting that acceptable to the leaders who say they are professional politicians have been a challenge.

They feel that they have to dictate for the people, they have to decide for the people and the people must follow what they say, the people must do what they want, the people must take a cue from what they do; and I don’t think it should be like that.

Sincerely speaking, we must now begin to know that we are expected to serve the people, work for the people, labour for the people, let the people see us as servants serving them, even if we take the posture of a leader. For me, it should be a leaderservant.

You have run before in the governorship race, and now that you talk about intrigues, what new things have you learned from the past to help you in this second coming?

Well, I see that we have to fight against imposition.

That is completely new. Coming from ANPP, I know that then, it was a very democratic party which believed in grassroots politics. But coming now, I know that in the last six months, we’ve done a lot we have to fight against imposition by seeming close group; and thinking that you have to lure everyone to accept your position and that one man must be, we are not creating a singular institution, we are not creating a group which want to become an institution over every other person. That has been a big challenge to some of us in the race and we have to absolutely continue to insist that the people’s will must prevail and that is why the only acceptable thing to do is to insist on acceptable primary election; not just free and fair primary, it has to be seen as free and fair primary, it has to be believed to be free and fair.

So, whatever skirmishes that would be there,

whatever little hiccups, for me it can be acceptable because we don’t run a perfect society or system.

What we are saying is that the marginal error must be very low that it can be tolerated. If it is not low, you can’t tolerate it and when it is not tolerable, of course, you’ll be working against the will of the people and we don’t want to see that happening.

Nigeria has grown. Democracy has come a long way, we are talking of close to 20 years now. To men two decades of trial is a whole lot. You can’t continue to run trial all your life. You’ve done trial first four years, the next four years, another 12 years, then you want to begin to think you want to perfect things. In Edo state the process is to be perfected this year.

It is a fact that the PDP had made some mistakes in the governorship elections in the past, what is your plan to correct the mistakes, now that another opportunity has come?

Of course, it is good to learn from the past. People who refuse to learn from the past cannot create a vision.AndIbelievethePDPhasvisionforthepeople, so they must learn from the past. That is the only way we can create a better future for the people. I am convinced that PDP will learn from the mistakes of the past and will avoid repeating similar mistakes in this dispensation in order to ensure that people’s choice, people’s will is respected. So I sincerely believe it’s going to be something new.

As one of the aspirants of the PDP, why you think you process the best quality to be nominated as PDP’s flag bearer for the election?

Basically, talking about my background, I am coming from the business sector and I believe sincerely now that we must begin to see the State as a corporate entity, that we must begin to manage the State as a business entity and we must run the

Basically, talking about my background, I am coming from the business sector and I believe sincerely now that we must begin to see the State as a corporate entity State on profit and loss understanding.

What happens in business is that you want to look at your simulation, you want to look at your permutations and ensure that you create a balance between profit and loss, ensuring that losses are highly minimized to increase your profit margin.

That is the way. And in terms of a state, you want to be sure that when you’re running the State on a profit-oriented manner, you want to ensure that the people are not pained, the people are not going to suffer for it. So there must be that balance and you need someone with a corporate experience to do that.

Secondly, I am a liberal person, I believe in liberal democracy and at this moment in the history of Edo state, you need a liberal democrat, somebody who is liberal, who can accommodate everybody, but extremely very firm in decision making decisions and taking position to manage the State. Someone who sees the State beyond the election, someone who sees the people beyond the election, that at the

•CHIEF Solomon Edebiri, Edo State Governorship aspirant end of the election, you are no longer the governor of the PDP but the governor of Edo State. Of course, PDP is a microcosm of the people of Edo State, APC is a microcosm of Edo State, so are all other parties. So you want to see a situation of a man that can run the State as a corporate entity, not creating a diversionary system for the people. It is not going to help the State to progress.

Thirdly, I understand the economy of the state, I understand that we have reasonable raw materials, we have reasonable mineral resources, we have huge potential in human capacity and our agro capacity is also very high. These things have not been harnessed. So you need an experienced person, somebody with a broadbased understanding to exploit all these opportunities. I have that and I feel the people have that. That is why they feel I am best fitted.

Of course, people are speaking in unison, saying give us Edebiri and we will vote for you. It doesn’t matter whether we are APC, whether we are PDP, whetherwearemarketwomen,artisans,itdoesn’t matter. They understand that I have a very good understanding of the State where the state is coming from, what it has got and how to harness them.

They also understand that I am coming from a position where all the industries that have closed down could be revamped and put back to service.

The state also understand that I believe in partial privatization. I do not belong to the school of thought that everything must be fully privatized.

I believe that government must have a minimal stake, no matter what, it is in every system in order to ensure that the state and the people of the state could get maximum benefit from it.

The people know that with Edebiri coming in, all the industries that have been closed down will be revived. Companies like the Edo line, Bendel Insurance, Bendel Pharmaceutical, Bendel Printing Company, we need to bring all of them back.

My knowledge of localization is something that is also going to help. When you localize everything, Edo state will become a hub for the West African countries. We will supply human capacity, agro products, oil products, finished goods and what have you. I think those are the qualities that stand me out and endear me to the people to lead them for the next dispensation.

Are the aspirants of the PDP still bonding together, in view of the recent altercations between two of the aspirants, Osaro Onaiwu and Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu?

The party is binding us together and I know the party will continue to bind us together. But no matter who we are, and in a situation where

some people believe that they are the only ones that can fight Oshiomhole, that was what Onaiwu was talking about and people try to see it from a wrong point of view.

The PDP is not providing a candidate that can go to the streets and fight Oshiomhole.

We want to run an election, meet Oshiomhole at an intellectual table, present our argument based on fact and knowledge, based on what we know, go back to the history of Edo state since he came in, find out what he did rightly and praise him for it, what he did wrongly, tell him he did it wrongly and what difference we are going to make. We want to go to an intellectual table and go back to the school of governance and find out how best we can do it. That is where we want to take him on. PDP is not looking out for a candidate that will take thugs out to the streets and fight Oshiomhole. It is also painting Oshiomhole in bad light that he uses thugs, that it is only those with thugs that can fight him. I do not belong to that school of thought. Let’s go to the intellectual table and meet there. Ther is where we can convince our people through political dialogue, discussion and analysis.

In the past eight years, APC has not been able to give us what we want. We are here to give you an alternative and this is the alternative we are providing for you. It is for real. We are not going to give you the change that is so painful and everyone knows that the change we want is the one that will make us feel comfortable. The kind of change we want is that our children should go to school without pain, that our children finish from the university and get a job, which is different from what is happening now, that there should be electricity in our houses, there should be water in our houses, and of course that we should be able to go to bed and not being afraid even if we forget to luck our doors because there is security. Those are the chances that we want and because APC has not been able to provide those changes, Edo people must vote them out in 2016. That is what we want to tell Edo people, not that when we meet at Ring Road, we meet at Mission Road, Akpakpava road or Sakpnba Road and start fighting. That is what Osaro Onaiwu is trying to say and the PDP should stop painting the picture that we are going to do things in the agberoitic manner. No! We want to meet at an intellectual table and discuss the way forward for Edo people. We owe them that responsibility, we owe them that right, we owe them that duty.

We must not turn Edo state to a gorilla warfare, an environment where people are not afraid to come out because they believe two people are coming to fight.

SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY 15, 2016 PAGE 39

Who are the Niger Delta Avengers?

• We’re educated individuals poised to take region's struggle to new heights — Agbinibo, spokesperson • You are criminals – Emami, Johnny, Oduku, others

•Niger Delta militants By Emma Amaize, Regional Editor, Niger Delta & Perez Brisibe

T

HE riddle security forces are battling to unravel in the Niger Delta is: Who are Niger Delta Avengers, NDA, the newborn militant group that has gone haywire in the region?

Unfortunately, the answer is not straightforward. It is complicated.

However, the question of what the Niger Delta Avengers want is

unambiguous. According to its spokesperson, so-called Col Mudoch Agbinibo, “Our goal is to cripple Nigeria’s economy.”

True to its bizarre avowal, since February 14 when it declared what it called “Operation Red Economy,” the group has attacked oil facilities, thus affecting production for export. As at now, Chevron’s operation in the Niger Delta is nil.

Stark reality Finance Minister, Kemi Adeosun, confirmed that Nigeria’s oil production had dropped to 1.65m barrels a day, the lowest production in 22 years because of the resurgence of militant activities.

Her words: “The renewed activities of

the militants in the Niger Delta are seriously affecting oil production; in fact, it is now down to 1.65 million barrel per day (m b /d.)”.

The Federal Government had predicated its 2016 Budget on 2.2 m b/d, but the obtainable output is thousands of barrels below that – around 1.7 to 1.8m b/d for the past months.

Production actually started the downward tread in February when the Avengers blew up an underwater pipeline, which forced Royal Dutch Shell to shut down its Forcados Export Terminal, and cut production by at least 250,000 bpd.

Early last week, Shell declared force majeure on exports of Bonny Light crude after a drip on one of its trunk lines in the Delta while, days after, Chevron shut its

Valve Platform following an attack by the Niger Delta Avengers.

Unarguably, the militant group has hit the nation’s production with Chevron being the worse affected. The Avengers know what they want and seem to have been operating so far with clinical precision.

‘We’re equipped to cripple Nigeria’

Three months ago when it launched its attacks, the

Continues on page 40

PAGE 40—SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY 15, 2016

Unveiling the Avengers Emami told Sunday Vanguard that those bombing pipelines in Delta State were criminals, adding, “We know them, the security agents know them too, they are not ghosts, and we will support President Muhammadu Buhari to bring them out no matter where they hide.”

•Niger Delta militants Continued from page 39 spokesperson declared: “We are the Niger Delta Avengers; a group of educated and welltraveled individuals that are poised to take the Niger Delta struggle to new heights that has never been seen in this nation before. We have wellequipped human resources to meet this goal.

He said the group has support from other parts of Nigeria.

By Thursday, May 12, the Avengers group, which chose to call themselves “outlaws” and issued the President and 11-point condition that was ignored until the nation started to reap the repercussions, gave a clearest indication of where it was heading with the bombings that shook the nation since the present political dispensation.

It said: “By October 2016, we will display our currency, flag, passport, our ruling council and our territory to the world.”

Skirmish with Tompolo

The group, having a running battle with ex-militant leader, Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo, who disowned it for its violent activities, warned: “Let us make it clear, to you our elder brothers (exagitators) that we are not begging you to join this agitation. We are young, educated, well traveled and most of us were educated in East Europe but do not worry when we achieved our goal (sovereign state of Niger Delta), then you people will be proud of us. In as much as we respect you as our elder brothers (ex-agitators) please do not dare to stand on our way because if you do we will crush you.”

However, knowing that the group has actually inflicted serious collateral damage on the country’s oil production, it sent an open congratulatory message to its foot soldiers,

last Thursday. It read, “From the high command of the Niger Delta Avengers, we congratulate the strike teams of the Avengers for without taking innocent life or that of the Nigeria military, we were able to shut down 50 per cent of crude production.”

While the devastating effects of the attacks by Niger Delta Avengers are not in contest, its claim to be patriotic Niger -Deltans agitating for the interest of the people is what has set it on collision course with many wellmeaning people in the region.

They’re criminals

Niger Delta activist and Itsekiri leader, Chief Ayiri Emami; ex-militant leader, Paul Eris, aka Ogunboss from Bayelsa State; Okerenkoko leader, Chief Michael Johnny; National Coordinator of the National Coalition of Niger Delta Ex-Agitators, NCNDEA, Israel Akpodoro; and Commandant of the Riverine Security (Coast Guard of the Federation), Commander Bibi Oduku, described the Avengers members as criminals.

Emami told Sunday Vanguard that those bombing pipelines in Delta State were criminals, adding, “We know them, the security agents know them too, they are not ghosts, and we will support President Muhammadu Buhari to bring them out no matter where they hide.”

The former chair of the Delta Waterways Security Committee, DWSC, Warri went on: “I can tell you that the name, Niger Delta Avengers, chosen by the criminal elements and economic terrorists bombing oil and gas installations in the state and their demands roundly expose their political, selfish, corrupt and destructive mission.”

“They are on their own, the good people of Niger Delta are not with them, we are in support of President Muhammadu Buhari and his government, we want him to transform Niger Delta, what are these masquerading economic saboteurs avenging?

Akpodoro said: “The Niger Delta Avengers is a creation of the exPresident aimed at thwarting any efforts made by the President Muhammadu Buhari-led All Progressives Congress, APC, administration. “

He disclosed that the plot was hatched at a well-attended meeting called at the instance of the governor of one of the South -South states in January, last year, with prominent exmilitants, including himself, and senior officials of the former President.

The Urhobo-born ex-militant further stated that the message from them, as delivered by the a top official to the President, was that all ex-militants from the region should return to the creeks preparatory for action should Buhari win the then coming election saying; that includes “ what we are witnessing today in the actions of the Niger Delta Avengers.”

He said he was bundled out of the meeting for opposing the suggestion, adding, “The former President created the monster, Niger Delta Avengers, NDA, and he alone can call them to order and that is what my group is asking him to do.”

Oduku, who claimed that his group carried out an investigation, concluded that the militants bombing oil installations in Delta State under the cover of Niger Delta Avengers, hails from Gbaramatu Kingdom in Warri South-West Local Government Area of the state.

He also fingered an ex-militant leader, who he accused of “aiding and abetting criminals in their community in the recent attack on oil and gas installations within and outside the kingdom.”

On his part, Johnny was unambiguous that the persons who carried out the explosions were known criminals in the region. He said they survived all along by kidnapping expatriates, bombing oil installations and collecting ransom.

Gbaramatu people not criminals — Gbenekama, Ozobo

However, an Ijaw leader from Gbaramatu Kingdom, Chief Godspower Gbenekama, said: “Gbaramatu people are not part of Niger Delta Avengers, which took responsibility for the recent bombing of oil installations in the state and can never be part of them. We condemn their actions and are against pipeline vandalism of any sort.”

Gbenekama added: “Those who are disgruntled that Tompolo issued a

statement against the activities of the group should not make Gbaramatu a battlefront. Tompolo has every right to denounce the so-called Niger Delta Avengers because they are creating trouble for him, Gbaramatu and Ijaw people as whole.”

National President of Ijaw Peoples Development Initiative, IPDI, Comrade Austin Ozobo, also lambasted Oduku for classifying the entire Gbaramatu people as militants responsible for the ongoing bombings in the state.

Strike teams

For efficiency, Niger Delta Avengers has, according to sources, different strike (attack) teams. On Friday, February 19, at about 3.30 hours, Strike Team 6 was said to have blown up the Clough Creek Tebidaba Agip Pipeline Manifold in Bayelsa State.

At 22.00 hours Thursday, May 5, 2016, Strike Team 4, one of the sources said, hit the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) crude and gas lines.

The crude line feeds the Warri and Kaduna refineries while the gas line feeds the Lagos and Abuja electricity power supply. With this development, the group knocked out Warri and Kaduna refineries.

The explosion practically shut down all cities that depend on the gas line for power.

Strike Team 7 was alleged to have blown up Well D25 in Abiteye. The well is a major gas facility belonging to Chevron. It also reportedly attacked major pipelines, which put the Abiteye, Alero, Dibi, Otunana and Makaraba flow stations that feed the Chevron tank farm out of operation.

Located some 100meters away from the atacked NNPC pipeline is a military houseboat, stationed there to protect oil pipelines.

NDA spokesperson, Agbinibo, while congratulating the strike teams and refuting the claim that his group was largely Ijaw, disclosed, last Thursday: “The Commander of Strike Team 9 of the Niger Delta Avengers is from eastern Nigeria.”

He added: “So nobody should limit this struggle to the Ijaw of the Niger Delta. The leader of Strike Team 6 that blew up Chevron valve platform is Itsekiri.

The Commander of our Elite Team Strike Team One is from AkwaIbom.”

SUNDAY Vanguard, MAY 15, 2016, PAGE 41

rexmarinus@hotmail.com

Buhari’s 'fantastically corrupt' nation

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r. Cameron, British Prime Minister was caught on camera last week saying Nigeria and Afghanistan were “fantastically corrupt” countries. Mr. Cameron was briefing the Queen about his government: “we have had a great cabinet meeting” Cameron said.

The UK was looking forward to the meeting on anti-corruption that was billed to open last week in London. And as part of the signs of the great things to be expected in the meeting, London had managed to coral great corrupt countries around the world, including Nigeria and Afghanistan, two of the world’s most “fantastically corrupt countries” to attend. “Is that right?” asked the Queen. Well, yes of course. Hopefully, even, they may pay their own fare down.

The implication being that these “fantastically corrupt” countries were not only corrupt, they were also basket cases of charity.

They so depended on British charity that sometimes in such matters the UK had to pick the travelling bills of their officials. It was a great put down, certainly. Even the Archbishop of Canterbury’s quip to the Queen that “this president” (meaning

Buhari) is not corrupt” felt ultimately like left-handed charity.

Cameron’s statement was not only patronizing but it mirrors the extremely racist impulse that undergirds British foreign policy and elite attitudes to Africa. But of course, this is an old story.

There are circles in London which still feels and act patronizingly towards African nations, constantly infantilized in the Western mind, and who have either not read Edward Said’s Orientalism, or give a fiddler ’s fart about its implications with regards to the entire concept of the “other.”

David Cameron goes further to cause even greater umbrage in Parliament days later when in defending his statement angled it to mean that even the political leaders of Nigeria and Afghanistan agree that their countries are corrupt, and that “British aid” to these countries was in Britain’s national security interest.

We live in a “dangerous neighborhood” he claims and so on and so forth. Let me make a few things a little clear for Mr. Cameron: Mr. Muhammadu Buhari, Nigeria’s President is quite right in an important regard. An apology from David Cameron and the

Too Good to Cut 'Cake Etiquette'- Part 1

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hat’s the mystery behind the wedding cake?

Your wedding day celebration is incomplete without that famous wedding delight. Some brides go simple and settle for a two tier cake, others go the whole nine yards and do as many as a 5-7 tier cake or better still a cake with individual layers garnished with elaborate sugar craft flowers and embellishments. Today we are seeing even the simplest of wedding cakes by way of multiple cupcakes arranged in tiers, how times are changing. The wedding cake is one of the most eye catching themes of the wedding, usually strategically placed for all to see. The ceremonial nature of the couple getting up to cut the cake sends paparazzi on a frenzy and you too at times.

Did you know that the wedding cake has a tradition and customary C M Y K

role in weddings, starting as far back as the days of the Roman Empire?

THE IMPORTANCE OF THE WEDDING CAKE AND IT’S SYMBOLISM (i) Traditionally the wedding cake is to symbolize the couple having a prosperous life together (ii) The original symbol of the cake was for the groom to show his dominance in the marriage. (iii) Most cakes are white as a symbol of purity. (iv) The cutting of the cake symbolizes the first joint task in married life. (v) The Bride feeding the groom is a commitment to vow to help her groom wherever possible. (vi) The freezing of the first layer symbolizes the

British government is meaningless at this stage, and achieves nothing. So, Cameron can shove his apology down his youknow-where, if he ever feels compelled to issue one.

What is important as President Buhari makes clear is that the UK should return billions of Nigeria’s stolen money stashed away in the UK and in other places where they have been taken. Nigeria’s Economic Intelligence reports indicate that the UK is the greatest recipient or destination of “looted” Nigerian money, and that those who have made Nigeria “fantastically corrupt” have really been most welcome in Great Britain.

If London is a great financial hub for the recycling and laundering of stolen national resources, which arguably oils the prosperity of the UK, it must be quite clear then which country is really more “fantastically corrupt” than the other. The United Kingdom is a fantastically corrupt nation – and we should not mealy mouth this very fact.

Far more so in fact than Nigeria, and this is a point that was admirably drilled down by an editorial in the Guardian of London, in response to David Cameron’s statement about Nigeria. Look closer home, they told him. As a matter of fact, it is just ironic, and far too laced with the kind of humor that is difficult to ignore, that Mr. Cameron talks about corruption in this “holierthan-thou” fashion, given that his father might have educated him privately at Eton and Cambridge with money stolen from places like Nigeria.

Recent release of what we now know as the Panama papers made quite clear, that among the most prominent names on that portion of the cake to be used during the christening of the first child or in celebration of the 1st wedding anniversary.

Now that you have a fair idea of what the wedding cake stands for, it is paramount for all brides to follow a few basic rules when choosing their cake.

Remember that your cake will form one of the center pieces of attraction as I mentioned earlier.

Everybody looks forward to that moment, another time to shine after all it is your unique day. Whether you are the bride or the groom, planning now or later, I have come up with a few Etiquette Tips for you when it comes to settling for a wedding cake, take note: 10 WEDDING CAKE ETIQUETTE TIPS Today’s wedding cakes come in all shapes and sizes, models as well as themes, it is truly a case of how artistic your cake designer is. #1 CHOOSE CAKE DESIGNER

A

In choosing a designer research into it at least three, who have either been recommended or have proven to do beautiful cakes by reputation. The designer should be able to recommend and advise you on styles according to your

list is the senior Cameron, the Prime Minister’s own father.

So, where does the British Prime Minister find the moral gumption to call Nigeria a “fantastically corrupt” country, when the UK has more names on the Panama papers as recently revealed of those who use secret banks and shell accounts; when the UK is one

The looting of Nigeria has been largely aided, abetted, and even engineered by the partnership of multinational corporations who are willing to corrupt Nigeria’s public officials and bribe their way through multi-billion contract agreements, some of which are spurious of the greatest recipients of stolen funds from these “fantastically corrupt” countries; when London has never stopped the process that permits the impunity of stealing from so called “third-world” Peters to pay the Pauls of the “NATO Alliance?” The looting of Nigeria has been largely aided, abetted, and even engineered by the partnership of multinational corporations who are willing to corrupt Nigeria’s public officials and bribe their way through multi-billion contract agreements, some of which are spurious.

The Nigerian musician Fela Anikulapo-Kuti famously sang about one

pocket. The cake designer should be seasoned enough to tell you the latest trends and be willing to show off recent works plus offer cakes to taste. #2

HAVE A BUDGET

Even if you have the most ambitious, designers remember that the average wedding cake is not cheap. It is a good idea to set yourself a budget to work with according to your entire wedding budget. Try to stay within it as much as possible.

Your budget will also determine how durable the cake may be highly influenced by the ingredients used. Some cakes use a dash of alcohol for preservation so think carefully when deciding your budget.

such involving “International ThiefThief ” (ITT) and Abiola, and a slew of other highflying plutocrats and their international partners who have over the years, since 1970 in fact, raped the people of Nigeria, and stashed their loots in places like London with the permission of the UK government and other receivers of stolen goods.

It is therefore profoundly insulting to calm reason for the British Prime Minister to talk about “fantastically corrupt” nations, when all along, the UK has always laid the grounds of corruption in Nigeria. Nigeria is a client state of the UK. Indeed public corruption in Nigeria is an inherited tradition from British colonialism.

The terrible legacy of our affiliation with Great Britain is that the colonized learnt the best and the worst from those who colonized them. I did say President Buhari is right in not demanding apologies from Mr. Cameron and the UK government, and in asking only that the UK return money stolen from Nigeria.

The problem of course is that Nigeria has remained a client state of the UK, an irony in fact, that beats most imaginations, given that the same Nigeria chose to remove itself from the Commonwealth in 1963.

Buhari is a client president of the UK. It took a parade of affirmation that dragged him through Chatham house and through the offices of many English has-beens in order to sell him to old British interest during his campaign to be president.

It would take a generation of Nigerians who did not experience

#3 CHOOSE YOUR DESIGN It is your wedding and your theme, most times the designer will run with your thoughts and imagination. However the view of an expert is always welcoming so it is a good idea to solicit advice when choosing a cake maker. Research into various designs and have your own creative idea.

Ensure your cake maker is also creative enough and experienced to do what you asked for and possibly more. Why not search the internet or use your social media platforms to see a world of beautifully designed wedding cakes. I once attended a wedding when the cake was in the design

colonialism to fully engage the UK on a footing necessary to assert Nigeria’s significant status as other than a client nation, dependent on British charity, including the charity, as was hinted by the Prime Minister, of paying the passage to England of Nigeria’s officials. For Nigeria, with 173 million people, years of oil production as one of the world’s leading energy suppliers, and a vaster market than the UK, with 63 million people, to continue to project economic and political dependency on Britain, is an imponderable violation of reason.

And there, is where the president failed. Yes, Nigeria does not demand an apology from Cameron and the UK. But the President’s self-righteous addition that the British PM is right in his assertion is no tough-love, as a few people are now seeing it, but an example of what Fela sang of as “demonstration of craze.”

Buhari let down Nigeria in agreeing with that puerile assertion, and gave the British Prime Minister another excuse for a soundbite to wriggle out of an idiotic statement. Nigeria is not more corrupt than the UK. Besides, the talk of corruption is a bogey the Brit’s use, when they wish to undermine and infantilize another: it is the UK’s excuse to maintain that these people cannot govern themselves without some sort of British intervention.

Robert L.Tignor ’s 1993 essay, “Political Corruption in Nigeria before Independence,” is an important read in that regard. Whenever the Brits hem-and-haw about corruption, something is often afoot. And it is often scurrilous.

of a sleek car because the couple were both engineers, it was so original. #4 IDENTIFY YOUR THEME/COLOUR SCHEME Your theme can include floral designs like sugar flowers, ribbons or drapes.

You may decide to choose round, square, hexagon or heart shapes for your cakes.

It is important that the colours of your cake match the decor of the reception and the colour theme of your wedding including dresses. Be careful when choosing colours because not all colours work well with cakes and the icing, The prettier the cake the more inclined your guests would be to eat it.

PAGE 42 — SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY 15, 2016

diplomatic world

By Levinus Nwabughiogu

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hough it colonized Nigeria and can boast of decency and superior infrastructure in terms of social development to the extent of vilifying the country before the international community, Britain may have just been humbled by the candour and diplomatic finesse of a black leader over its provocative, uncultured, hard stance on Nigeria.

Call it an elitist chat, joke or informal meeting, you would only be glorying a sorry situation. To many informed minds, it was nothing less than a gossip. Unfortunately, that was the gutter level the supposedly father of the English world reduced both himself and his utopian community last week.

His case gives credence and aptly amplifies a popular African saying that “everyday is for the thief but one day is for the owner of the house”.

Perhaps, he had the penchant of tattling on irrelevancies in secret but, on that day, he completely became oblivious of a fate that was looming..

Out from a cabinet meeting, the British Prime Minister, Mr. David Cameron, decided to report Nigeria to Queen Elizabeth II. The report: That two “fantastically corrupt” nations, Nigeria and Afghanistan would be attending the World AntiCorruption Summit which held between Wednesday and Thursday in London and hosted by Cameron himself.

In the video that went viral and showed Cameron standing with the Queen, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, and the Speaker of the House of Commons, John Bercow, one could see Cameron as he made a caricature of Nigeria.

But Cameron’s “chi” failed him on that fateful day. Like in the other whittle-tattles he got away from, on this day, television cameras were on him and he got so carried away that he didn’t notice them.

The same could be said of Bercow who ridiculously asked if the two nations were attending the summit at their own expense. The question is: What point were these officials trying to score?

But thank goodness for Welby, who gave President Muhammadu Buhari a clean bill of health, affirming his anti-corruption stance even though his interjection made no appreciable impact as the other men turned deaf ears to the remark.

Indeed, any country bashed in the manner Nigeria and Afghanistan were, no one would blame its leaders for either shying or staying away from a summit organized by their bashers.

But trust Buhari. He remained unperturbed. Even when anger boiled over at home, tongues wagged on and calls almost reached a crescendo for him to make a u-turn and forget the meeting, the President was calm and calculated. He had some other way to reply Cameron.

Then came the media who inquired from him in the course of the the summit whether he would demand an apology from Cameron. Buhari said it was unnecessary.

To him, what was so important was the repatriation of the stolen wealth stashed away in London and elsewhere outside the shores of Nigeria.

He said: “I am not going to demand an apology from anybody. What I am demanding is a return of assets …

This is what I am asking for. What would I do with an apology? I need something tangible.”

But the President was to shock Nigerians the more when he admitted to journalists that Nigeria was

•Cameron •President Buhari

Cameron’s corruption offensive and Buhari’s diplomacy “fantastically corrupt”, thus corroborating Cameron’s position.

He spoke to Sky News’ Diplomatic Editor, Dominic Waghorn, in London, in a 29 seconds chat.

Sky news: Will you like an apology from the prime minister?

Buhari: No, no not at all.

Sky news: Are you embarrassed by what he said?

Buhari: No I’m not.

Sky news: Is Nigeria fantastically corrupt?

Buhari: Yes Buhari’s mien To many, Buhari’s admittance was the height of betrayal. They had expected him to return Cameron’s insult on Nigeria even with a harsher measure. But the president was more intelligent. He was smarter.

How? By demanding the return of the looted funds kept in UK’s banks, Buhari only laughed at the ignorance of the white man who would gladly accept looted assets without qualms.

In Nigeria and perhaps, elsewhere in the white lands, there is a law that sees both the bribe giver and taker guilty of the same offense. For one, “accomplice” is an English vocabulary, yet, Cameron forgot that. Whereas a Cameron would have rejected a sinner Nigerian with his looted funds, he, the British saint, unbelievably provided a safe haven for the assets. What was his interest? Yes, Buhari admitted Nigeria is “fantastically corrupt”, but

To many, Buhari’s admittance was the height of betrayal.

They had expected him to return Cameron’s insult on Nigeria even with a harsher measure what about the recipient of the assets? The latest insult on Nigeria is not the first time Britain is promoting a diplomatic row with Nigeria. Around June, 2013, the UK government nnounced an imposition of £3,000 as travel bonds on the citizens of six countries which included Nigeria, Ghana, Bangladesh, Sri-Lanka, Pakistan and India. While Nigeria and Ghana are West-African countries, the rest are Asian. According to the government, these countries were “high risk” countries.

Interestingly, these countries were

colonized by Britain and so, are tucked into the conglomerate of the Commonwealth Nations.

But Commonwealth is an intimacy that seems to be lost on the home policy of the British government each time it needed to attack its former colonies.

In September 1986, the Margaret Thatcher administration decided, at the end of a cabinet meeting, that, in future, travelers from Nigeria, India, Ghana, Bangladesh and Pakistan would need to obtain visas in their own countries before traveling to the UK. Before then, nationals of all Commonwealth nations, except Sri Lanka, did not need visas to travel to the UK. Of a truth, these unfriendly decisions of the UK government against its former colonies put to question the relationship the country has with the former colonies.

Perhaps, no other lines could be so appropriate to let the international community understand what it has done to Nigeria than the words of Buhari who, in his speech at the AntiCorruption Summit, accused it of shying away from the anti-corruption fight, urging it to create anti-corruption infrastructure and a strategic action plan to facilitate the speedy repatriation of stolen funds hidden in secret bank accounts abroad.

“When it comes tackling corruption, the international community has unfortunately looked away for too long.

We need to step up and tackle this evil together. That is why we have gathered here today”.

SUNDAY VANGUARD, MAY 15, 2016, PAGE 43

H

AS God ever de ceived you? I asked this question in my “Practical Christianity” class and some people were outraged. They initially thought I was being sacrilegious. But I have learnt not to be diplomatic with God. God is our Father. It is a waste of time pulling punches with him. He knows our thoughts in any case without our even having to express them verbally. So let me be so bold as to repeat the question. Has God ever deceived you?

But how, you may well ask, can God deceive? Do the scriptures not tell us that God cannot be tempted of evil and that he himself does not tempt anyone? (James 1:13 ). Yes! Is it not the devil that deceives?

Yes it is. But the devil can only do what God allows or permits.

Let me use another question to illuminate my question.

Have you ever deceived a child? Have you ever told a child a particular medicine was sweet when you knew it was bitter? Your justification was that you did that in the child’s best interest so that he could receive healing. In Christ, everything you do out of love is lawful: “Love does no harm to a neighbour; therefore love is the fulfilment of the law.” (Romans 13:10).

Deceiving the wicked Pharaoh gave the injunction to the Hebrew midwives to kill all Jewish male children at birth. The midwives refused to obey the king’s command and they lied to him that, unlike the Egyp-

HAS GOD EVER DECEIVED YOU? tians, Hebrew women are lively and they give birth before the midwives arrive. Because the midwives lied in order to save the Jews, God blessed them. (Exodus 1:1521).

Rahab deceived the king of Jericho when he asked her to deliver the Jewish spies who were lodging in her house. She hid the men in her roof and told the king’s emissaries that they had already left. Rahab’s lie saved the life of the spies and God rewarded her by saving her entire household during the destruction of Jericho.

Similarly, God uses every trick in the book in the interest of salvation.

Jeremiah was in no doubt that God had deceived him.

He thought he was in for a glamorous assignment and had the shock of his life. In desperation, he became accusatory and went into a tirade against God. “O Lord, you deceived me when you promised me your help. I have to give them your messages because you are stronger than I am, but now I am the laughingstock of the city, mocked by all. You have never once let me speak a

God uses every trick in the book in the interest of salvation word of kindness to them; always it is disaster and horror and destruction. No wonder they scoff and mock and make my name a household joke.” (Jeremiah 20:7-8).

The Special Assistant The President sent his Special Assistant on an urgent assignment. But on the way, the police arrested him on trumped up charges. He was thrown into jail without trial and without bail. When his wife came to see him, he had one urgent request: “Please tell the president that, on my way to perform the task he gave me, I was arrested and thrown in jail.”

When his wife told the president about her husband’s predicament, she was surprised to find he already knew about it. “I don’t want you to worry about anything at all,” reassured the president, “we have the matter firmly under control.” But then days rolled into weeks, and her husband

was still not released.

Then one day, something strange happened. The president made a surprise visit to his assistant in jail. But when he came, he gave no directive for him to be released. All he talked to him about was his forthcoming address to the United Nations. After two hours of discussions, the president bid him farewell, promising to come back to see him soon. What can this possibly mean?

How would you like it if you were that assistant? How understanding would you be if your boss left you in jail for over a year; visiting you every so often? When you are finally released, would you continue working for him or resign in anger?

Poor Jeremiah That was the predicament of Jeremiah. But I also know for a fact that it is the predicament of people working with God. Jeremiah was thrown

2 Christian archbishops kick against grazing reserves

By Sam Eyoboka & Olayinka Latona

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ATHOLIC Archbishop of Lagos, His Grace, Archbishop Adewale Martins and former General Secretary of Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, PFN, Archbishop Joseph Ojo Sunday opposed the proposal to establish grazing reserves across the nation, arguing instead that the Federal Government should build cattle ranches in states where cattle rearing is common.

Addressing journalists during this year's 50th World Communication Day, at the Holy Cross Cathedral, Lagos, Martins said such ranches will put an end to orgy of crisis emanating from incessant encroachment on people's farmlands.

In his words: "There is need for government to take proactive measures to arrest the situation because we cannot allow what is good for one part of the country to affect another part of the country. Ranches can be created by the government where the cows can be reared without encroaching on people's farmlands".

He further urged journalists and other social media users to use words that will promote peace and unity in the society, adding that Catholic church recognized the roles and importance of journalists in building a peaceful nation and "will encourage those engaged in mass communication, to engage in communicating the mercy of God,

use words that engender peace and harmony rather than conflicts."

Also reacting in the same vein at his Calvary Kingdom Church, CKC, in Okokomaiko area of Lagos, Archbishop Ojo expressed disappointment at a statement credited to Fulani Herdsmen who threatened that nobody can stop them from grazing their cows any where in the

country.

Speaking in an interview at the end of the church's annual Women Convention, erstwhile PFN general secretary further argued that one northern state functionary even went to the ridiculous extent of saying that there would be no country called Nigeria if these people are denied grazing reserves in the South.

Arguing that Nigeria has come to a crossroads, the Pentecostal archbishop posited that several Christian leaders who spearheaded the campaign for change during last year's presidential election are now ashamed to admit the current developments, saying that people voted for change last not anticipating that we will see what we are seeing today.

into jail for doing the Lord’s work. Instead of securing his release, the Lord visited him in jail. He then made a strange proposal to Jeremiah. He said to him: “Call to me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.” (Jeremiah 33:3).

You might well ask what great and mighty things Jeremiah would like to know at that time except how to get out of jail.

Poor Jeremiah. God compelled him to forgo the pleasures of his youth. He was not permitted to marry. His prophecies led many to consider him a traitor and an enemy of the nation. Jeremiah was a suffering prophet acquainted with grief. In order to serve the Lord, Jeremiah had to relinquish everything. But the Lord conveniently refused to tell Jeremiah exactly what being a prophet of God would entail beforehand.

Life insurance policy I read about a lady who put a hex on a man and it made him marry her. But, years of marriage and many children later, the effects wore off. He woke up one morning, some 27 years later, and asked her "Nobody anticipated that few months after that election people will go to their farms and will not return...women will go to their farms and will return unable to say the grave circumstances they they have encountered in the farms and the equivocations of some northerners which are tantamount to treason," he stated.

According to him, the authorities should immediately release the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOD leader, Nnamdi Kanu because recent equivocations cannot be compared to the agitations of

in astonishment: “Who are you?” “But I am your wife,” she replied. “No you are not,” the man insisted, “I never married you.” That was the end of the marriage.

Similarly, I woke up one morning and discovered that I was a preacher of the gospel. At that time, I had been a preacher for years, but it suddenly dawned on me that morning that I was actually a preacher. How in heaven’s name did that come about? I was the one who was going to be a Senator. I was the one who was going to be Nigeria ’s high-flying Foreign Minister. After all my education and professional background, the last thing on my mind was that I would end up as a nondescript preacher of the gospel.

I went to the Lord in protest. “Father, how did you trick me into this?” All I did was to give my life to Christ. I never bargained for any and all of this.

Be careful before you sign that life insurance policy with Jesus Christ. There is a lot of fine print in it. Read it properly because you are signing away your life. There is no going back. After you put forward your claim, then you will be shown all sorts of clauses that you were not aware of before. You will need a magnifying glass to read some of them.

Solomon gave us due warning: “Do not be rash with your mouth, and let not your heart utter anything hastily before God.” (Ecclesiastes 5:2). But a lot of the time, the Holy Spirit is the one who tells us what to pray, and we just go ahead without realising that we are praying away our life. the young political activist who has been in detention since last year.

"The truth is that many of the Christian leaders are in there, not knowing how to address the situation because they had compromised their faith.

We cannot continue like this.

Our prayer is that God should stop them in the evil endeavour," Ojo prayed, noting that the proposal for grazing reserves in every part of the country is not acceptable because "Buhari is supposed to president of every Nigerian."

Corruption: Ademowo calls for restoration of value system

By Olayinka Latona

D

EAN Emeritus Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), Most Rev. Ephraim Ademowo has called for restoration of the nation’s lost value system, saying the right value system will have positive impact on the ongoing fight against eradication of corruption which has eaten deep into the nation’s system.

Ademowo made the call while addressing journalists at the just concluded First Session of the 31st synod of Diocese of Lagos and Episcopal awards ceremony of held at Our Saviour’s Church, Tafawa Balewa Square, Lagos with the theme: “The marks of the church”.

He said most Nigerians have sacrificed their value system on the altar of greed, indiscipline, selfishness and insatiable craze for material wealth acquisition, adding that until the value system is restored, government could not do much.

He said: “At this juncture, I make a clarion call to all Nigerians that with regard to corruption, we must not only recoup stolen funds, we must rediscover lost public ethics.

We also need to establish the mindset that corruption is criminal and do away with the mentality that has treated it as correct public etiquette”.

The bishop then called on the

Federal Government to create enabling environment for job creation and ensure that the youths are gainfully employed. On the theme of the synod, the cleric said the

CAN orders fresh primaries for TEKAN/ECWA

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HEAD of elections to choose the next president of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, the apex body on Tuesday cancelled the controversial March 29, 2016 primaries of TEKAN/ ECWA bloc which was conducted while the bloc head, Rev. Emmanuel Dziggau was under kidnapp-ers' captivity and ordered a fresh election within two weeks.

Arising from an extraordinary meeting of the National Executive Council of CAN summoned to resolve the crisis rocking the TEKAN/ ECWA bloc, CAN urged all parties in the dispute to sheathe their arsenal, sort out their differences in the interest

of peace and unity among the august Christian body and conduct fresh elections that will pick an acceptable representative of the bloc.

Informed sources close to the NEC meeting pointed out that CAN gave them till May 24 to come up with a common position, warning them against undue publicity, stating that anybody who goes to court or media is on his own. Our source explained that the TEKAN/ECWA bloc was given the grace period after presentations by the bloc leader and the ECWA president, Dr. Jeremiah Gado, as well as contributions from delegates. The election of a CAN president will take place on June 21 or 22 while

the General Assembly will ratify the choice on July 19 and 20.

Our source said the outgoing CAN president had earlier enjoined the gathering on the need to resolve the intractable crisis fast because he was not in the mood to spend a day more than necessary on the seat. Giving reasons for the extraordinary meeting, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor emphasized that NEC had given a time table which he passed on to the Electoral College accordingly, stating that the Electoral College had refused to perform its functions and instead of exchanging correspondents, he opted to summon the emergency NEC meeting to resolve the crisis.

programme was to highlight the signs of a true church: “Activities of charlatans in Christendom are daily casting aspersions on the church as a whole. Teeming majority have fallen prey of the nefarious activities of these unholy assemblies in the cloak of the true church.

Believers must be able to identify the true church, hence the theme of this year ’s synod”, he said.

The Diocesan Bishop of Lagos Mainland, Most Rev. Adebayo Akinde, urged the congregation to pray for revival in the church and the nation as a whole.

Appreciating the church for honoring them, the awardees thanked God who had made it possible for them honoured.

Responding, Retired Bishop of Ifo Diocese, Rt. Rev. Joseph Odejide and Archbishop of Owerri Ecclesiastical Province, Rt. Rev. Caleb Maduoma advised upcoming priests to work hard and be faithful to their calling.

Page 44, SUNDAY Vanguard, MAY 15, 2016

VIEWPOINT

By David Ikudayisi VIEWPOINT IN BRIEF

Using blood and fat to heal ailments

EX is cherished because of the pleasure people derive from it. It S doesn’t matter whether you are a

man or a woman. Sex is designed by nature to be enjoyed, especially when you are married. Besides, it is the only natural way of procreation.

Meanwhile, there are hindrances to healthy sexual life that tend to make the lives of the victim miserable.

One of such hindrances is erectile dysfunction suffered by men. A victim will normally not have penile erection to have sex. Or, to put it mildly, the victim may suffer what many people refer to as premature ejaculation. In the case of the woman,

VIEWPOINT

By Olakunle Komolafe VIEWPOINT IN BRIEF

Why government agencies must pay for power supply

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eport on how much some public institutions are owing electricity distributor companies DISCOs was quite disturbing . The amount is about N98bn. The report noted that the debtors, called historic debtors, cut across the three tiers of government and also include security and military agencies. That certainly is a very bothersome development which simply does not augur well for any hope of having constant power supply in Nigeria or for any meaningful economic development to occur, when

VIEWPOINT

By Olu Onemola VIEWPOINT IN BRIEF

The presumption that silence is consent

N June 24, 2011, when erstwhile President O Goodluck Jonathan appointed

Atedze Agwaza to serve as a member of the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) - Nigeria’s pioneer anticorruption tribunal - there was applause in many quarters, as Agwaza, in his previous engagements as a solicitor, had distinguished himself.

This is why it came as no surprise to many, when in 2014, following alleged N10 million bribery against the Chairman of the CCT, Danladi Umar, Agwaza, and his other colleague on the tribunal at the time, retired Justice Robert Odu, wrote a memo to the Secretary to the

Erectile dysfunction, female sexual function and regenerative medicine her own problem may be loss of vaginal sensation that results in what is commonly called frigidity. There are various traditional medical remedies to erectile dysfunction or loss of vaginal sensation. However, there is an emerging regenerative medicine that promises to treat the two hindrances to sex just like many other forms of treatment, if not better.

Regenerative medicine refers to a therapy that involves the use of a patient’s own platelets (through a process called Platelet Rich Plasma, PRP) and adult stem cells (through a process called Adult Stem Cell Therapy) to repair and accelerate body natural healing process and prevent further tissues degeneration related to both medical and aesthetic conditions. PRP is blood plasma that has been enriched with platelets, and contains growth factors which may

elicit the gathering of stem cells around the damaged region stimulating cellular proliferation and tissue regeneration. In the case of Adult Stem Cell Therapy, stem cells are found in specialised areas of many tissues, including bone marrow and fat. The cells are capable of self-renewal and differentiation. During the natural course of one’s life, the cells are recruited from within the body to replace those lost over time and facilitate repair due to injury. These autologous stem cells are taken from an adult patient. Regenerative medicine has allowed clinicians to tap into the healing potentials provided by these cells. When injected into a diseased or injured area, adult stem cells can develop into healthy specialised cells needed to repair damaged tissues. So how does PRP

resolve challenges relating to erectile dysfunction? Because the process regenerates damaged tissues very fast under a procedure called P-Shot for Men, it gives treated men the possibility of saving their relationships by enjoying bigger and harder genitals and eventually increase in length. For women, the regenerative medicine procedure for them is called Orgasm-Shot for Women. This procedure leads to increased ability to have orgasm, better arousal from clitoris stimulation, decreased pain for painful intercourse, tighter vaginal opening, increased sexual desire and natural lubrication, and increased arousal from G-spot stimulation.

Besides, because of the O-Shot rejuvenation capabilities, there is help available for women suffering from stress incontinence without the

DISCOs and Historic Electricity Debtors institutions, which should set the pace for others to follow, are the leading defaulters on payment of electricity bills.

Worse still is the obvious situation of these public institutions being the very ones expected to act to prevail on individual and corporate debtors to pay their electricity bills.

What sort of moral authority would such institutions and security outfits have to prevail or induce electricity debtors to pay their bills when they too are owing?

Such defaulters in high places have contributed immensely to the parlous state of electricity supply in thenation and the odium of poor performance that attended the image of NEPA and PHCN, both predecessors of the DISCOs in

the delivery of electricity in Nigeria.

Given the huge investments of the DISCOs to come on stream in electricity supply as a result of privatization, it is unrea-listic, if not downright wicked, to expect the distribution firm to carry a debt burden that preceded privatization without some fina-ncial help from government in recognition of the existence of such debt burden. But now that government itself is involved at all tiers, it is as if it was a government policy not to pay electricity bills which definitely cannot be the case. Or are we mistaken on this matter in assuming that government has decreed not to pay electricity bills when it privatized the power industry.

Umar, Agwaza and CCT Government of the Federation (SGF) against Umar.

Agwaza and Odu, in the letter, mentioned that the allegation, that Umar received the money to quash the case against a defendant, had been widely reported in the media, and embarrassing comments from legal practitioners over the development, was a source of discomfort.

In 2015, following what has been described in many quarters as “politically-motivated inaction” by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in the case involving Umar, the CCT, under Umar, is trying Senate President Bukola Saraki on charges relating to his asset declaration forms from 2003. When the case commenced, Agwaza and Umar were the only two left on the tribunal. However, for

most of the beginning of the case, observers noticed that it was Umar who was running the show - without consulting Agwaza on any of the rulings.

Meanwhile, as the case began to take illogical turns by setting precedents that made legal observers, like Prof. Ben Nwabueze, SAN, Dr. Olisa Agbakoba (SAN), Chief Emeka Ngige (SAN) and Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN), to call to question the motivation behind the case, Agwaza began to speak more frequently during tribunal hearings.

Be that as it may, although the relationship between Umar, the EFCC and Saraki have been welldocumented in the media, with analysts alleging that the EFCC may have been influenced in the case against the Senate President, after the Senate began to investigate the

Certainly an answer needs to be provided at the highest echelon of government.

The obvious comparison is for government at all levels to consider how it will feel if citizens fail to pay tax.Of course they are taken to court and, if found guilty, jailed.

Now how can the DISCOs, who are partners with govern-ment, perform their task of delivering electricity when consumers don’t pay the equivalent of tax which is electricity bill and which, in this case, is cost reflective and putting that weight of delivery on the shoulders of the citizens.

This is a clear cut case of civil irresponsibility that should be addressed before it becomes the norm in our society. Public institutions

EFCC for allegedly diverting recovered funds, it is time to interrogate the question of why Agwaza has been part of the drama in the Saraki trial.

For example, in 2007, the CCT dismissed charges against former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, stating the non-adherence to Section 3, Paragraph D of its enabling Act, that states that a person must be first given an opportunity to either confirm or deny allegations bordering on his asset declaration by the Code of Conduct Bureau, before any trial could be instituted by the CCT. In 2011, this same legal precedent set the grounds for the dismissal of the case against a former governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Nevertheless, in what is perceived as a case of self-indictment, the CCT overturned its own legal precedent by saying the clause creating a condition that was used to let Atiku

need for invasive surgery. Now, it is not only in the area of sex that regenerative medicine helps. It works through Vampire Breast Lift and Vampire Nipple Lift to do what a good bra can do (improve the breast cleavage line) and restore sensitivity to the breast respectively. The antiaging segment (Vampire Facelift and Vampire Facial for Lines) also brings youthful appearance, removes wrinkles, acne and restores lost hair. Above all, regenerative medicine has proved to be effective in the treatment of diabetes, hypertension, kidney disease, joint pain, infertility, Alzheimer, and stroke, while adult stem cells have been shown to slow down brain and prostrate cancer in animal studies.

•Ikudayisi is of Glory Wellness and Regenerative Centre. The center can be reached via 09090004532 have always had priority over individuals or even busy corporate companies and the private sector at large in the allocation of electricity even before the coming of the DISCOs. So why can’t they justify their import-ance by simply paying the bill for electricity consumption?

This non-payment of electricity bills by agents of government at all tiers cast deep aspersion on the integrity and sense of accountability of such institutions in the governance of this nation . This is another act of blatant corruption and misuse of public funds since such institutions must have budgeted for electricity usage and delivery.

*Komolafe, an engineer, is based in Ogun State

and Tinubu off the hook was made in error. Agwaza sat on the bench on the day Umar read that ruling.

Although, some say he looked visibly displeased at the verdict, he could have expressed a dissenting view.

At this point, it is important that Nigerians who wish to see that justice is served, in the case involving the Senate President, do not only focus on Umar as the initiator of the legal inconsistencies that have been exhibited by the tribunal. We must also turn to Agwaza, who also should take responsibility for what happens at the CCT, but has remained silent in recent times, especially in the face of what many believe as the law being turned upside down.

As the case continues, it is important that Agwaza is reminded that, by the virtue of his seat on the tribunal, silence is consent. That is the public perception. Perception, however, is ultimately reality.

•Onemole is resident in Abuja

ties ask Def ence Minis Alleged Meddlesomeness: Opposition par parties Defence Ministter ttoo seek re-assignment •It is a presidential directive - Dan Ali

By Kingsley Omonobi

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pposition parties, under the aegis of Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP), have asked the Minister of Defence, Mansur Mohammed Dan Ali, to request redeployment if he is not comfortable working with service chiefs, saying it is important as security issues cannot be politicized now that the situation in the country remains sensitive.

CNPP,in a statement in Abuja, urged President Muhammadu Buhari to accede once the Defence Minister put in such request.

The statement, signed by CNPP’s Secretary General, Chief Willy Ezugwu, expressed concern that “meddlesomeness being exhibited by Alhaji Dan’ Ali” showed that there is an undeclared issue between him and the service chiefs and that such frosty relationship had been, in part, responsible for the poor response to the activities of Boko Haram in the past.

CNPP’s statement was in apparent

reaction to the committee set up by the Minister to monitor the running of the armed forces by the service chiefs.

The committee, eliciting disaffection, is said to be made up of retired generals whose actions may be interpreted as interference in the activities of the nation’s military high command.

When Sunday Vanguard contacted the Minister, Mansur Dan Ali, on the allegation, he responded: “Ministry of Defence has the responsibility to ensure that government’s directives and policies are strictly adhered to by the services at all times. “The committee, set up by the ministry, was not meant to indict anybody, rather it was based on a presidential directive to ensure

Ènugu dismisses EFCC action against official

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nugu State government has dismissed a report alleging that “a Senior Special Adviser to Enugu State Government on Special Duties” was quizzed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for embezzlement of over N200 million.

In a statement, yesterday, it said the man, identified as Pastor Sam Iyiogwe, is not a Senior Special Adviser in its service.

“He is one of Senior Special Assistants appointed in March by the state government and, to the best of our knowledge, he has not handled any financial transaction of the

government other than receiving his monthly salary”, the statement said.

“He was elected two-term Chairman of Nkanu East Local Government Area of the state which started on January 4, 2012 during the past administration of Mr. Sullivan Chime and ended on January 4, 2016.

“The allegations leveled against him have to do with his stewardship during his tenure as Chairman of the council and have nothing to do with his current appointment in this present administration”.

accountability and transparency in administration of resources allocated.

“It should be recalled that, recently, the Federal Ministry of Finance was also directed to conduct audit of all

monetary transactions of the military with a view to strengthening government policies and prudence and accountability of all financial allocations”.

Blame Umeh for APGA woes — Obiogbolu

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chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and a former governorship aspirant in Anambra State, Dr Alex Obiogbolu, has warned All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, and the Central senatorial candidate, Chief Victor Umeh, to stop deluding themselves and deceiving their members. He stated this in reaction to the comments made by Umeh, a former National Chairman of APGA, calling on the people of the zone to hold former Governor Peter Obi responsible for the nonrepresentation of the zone at the Senate.

Obiogbolu wondered why APGA and Umeh were afraid of “Obi who they had chased away from the party after he had built APGA into a household name in Anambra State”.

He went on: “This is a man who had built the leaders and their party, and

when it was convenient for them, they chased him from the party believing that his political usefulness was exhausted. Now, they are afraid that the same person they claimed was no longer useful has become their Achilles heel”.

He reminded the APGA leadership that Obi never wanted to go to the Senate and could had done so like most of his former colleagues after he left office as governor. He said Obi’s candidature was as a result of APGA’s own design after Umeh challenged the election of Senator Uche Ekwunife, got the nullification and was granted his desire for a rerun.

He wondered why they would then delude themselves into dreaming that only APGA will contest the re-run election against prevailing democratic norms.

SUNDAY Vanguard, MAY 15, 2016, PAGE 45

By ODE OKORE REVIEW

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The concluding part of comments and review of Titus Okereke’s Our Fathers’ Land. The first part was published on Thursday

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said to myself this was some thing too good, almost too beautiful to be true, yet I also knew it was not fiction, it was a true life story being told by the man who lived through it all.

Titus went later with the Warri and Sapele crowd of Urhobos, IItsekiris, Yorubas, Ijaws, Igbos and Edos (at the Government School in Warri, Titus had linked up with the Enahoros who were neighbors in the Warri GRA) to Government College, Ughelli and years later Ibadan. For many years, Titus’ best friends were Urhobos, Itsekiris, Ijaws and Yorubas, all stemming from the Ughelli- Warri - Sapele axis.

Indeed, Titus was an authentic “Warri- Sapele boy”. It could not be said, as the English would put it, that he was “smoked and kippered” into it, he had grown up and developed as one, fully acculturated to the socio-cultural liberalism for which Deltans are generally known and for which they are so proud.

Titus was now not only a “proper” Deltan, he had become a true “citizen” of the West. It was thus, to this friend, a tragedy of great proportions when the civil war forced him to the East or Biafra, as he has satirically expressed it somewhere in the book, as a “refugee”. So, it was not surprising that, after the war, after a brief stay at Nsukka (UNN), he returned to the West, first to Benin (to teach at the fledgling University) and later to the more familiar terrain of Lagos where many of the childhood friends, the Delta and Ibadan crowd had also settled down.

Now, back to the narrative. Titus narrative about life inside Biafra was intriguing, but not harrowing, because he lived through the war not in the War-front carrying AK 47s and sleeping in trenches but as a sleuth (DMI). He spent most of his time in dark-lit drinking joints, sometimes though under disco lights a la Lagos, again every now and then bumping into his ubiquitous friends from the past, that is, from Sapele, Warri, Ughelli, Ibadan, as he moved from Enugu to Port Harcourt and back again and in between making new friends.

In fact, it is hard to tell if, as a sleuth, all this yielded substantial results but the atmosphere all reminds me of the great Alfred Hitchcock’s memorable war thriller, CASABLANCA, which dealt with espionage and escape from wartorn Morocco during World War II. The significant point here though is that Titus’ up-bringing in the West, particularly Delta, had toughened him and given him a veneer of protection against any prolonged psychological wounds of war. Of course, it was not as though he had gone through the war wearing a teflon coat that seemed to shield him against the horrors of war.

There were certain pains which remained and festered in his heart for a while. They were pains which the mouth could not easily utter, pains which the eyes only had seen and which sickened the heart because of the sheer scale of their horror. It is all part of what we might describe as the metaphysics of war— the terrible famine and hunger especially among children, and the C M Y K

Our Fathers' Land encapsulates life and times of Dr Titus Okereke consequent bloated bellies and gaping eye sockets, constant exodus of people (especially women and children),and the sick, the wounded and the dying to ‘safer’ havens in a shrinking enclave. Yet, Titus, through all this was still, at heart, a “refugee” in the East. Even in the midst of the war, Titus was still the “proper” Deltan, at times ready to challenge even the Biafran soldiers at a check point if he felt they were trying to be “unfair” or selectively rough with any civilian simply because he was not Igbo-speaking. Yes, his upbringing in the West particularly in the heart of the Delta, had also made it easy for him at the end of the war to

Even in the midst of the war, Titus was still the proper Deltan, at times ready to challenge even the Biafran soldiers at check point if he felt they were trying to be unfair

By PRISCA SAM-DURU

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LITERATURE

or Nigerian writers resident all over the world, April 27 marked the beginning of the race for who becomes the next winner of The Nigeria Prize for Literature, following the submission of the 173 entries received for the 2016 edition of the prize, to the panel of judges. This marks the beginning of another circle of the four-year rotation of the prize among the four literary genres – prose, poetry, drama and children’s literature. This year focuses on prose fiction.

Considered Africa’s most prestigious literary award sponsored by Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas, NLNG, $100,000 will be up for grabs in perhaps the fiercest genre in the prize history.

During a ceremony held at the Protea Hotel, Ikeja, the entries were handed over to the panel of judges by the Chairman of the Advisory Board for literature, Emeritus Professor Ayo Banjo.

Also present were other members of the Advisory Board, Emeritus Prof. Ben Elugbe and Prof Jerry Agada.

This years panel of judges is led by Prof. Dan Izevbaye, a professor of English Language, at Bowen University, Iwo. Other members of the panel are Asabe Usman Kabir, Professor of Oral and African literatures at Usman Danfodio University, Sokoto and Isidore Diala, a Professor of African literature at Imo State University, Owerri who is also first winner of the award for literary Criticism.

The international Consultant is Professor Kojo Senanu, Professor of English at the University of Legon.

The NLNG’ s Communications and Public

glide back into normal civilian life and to settle back into old relationships he had left behind in the escape to Biafra.

At the book launch at the Nigeria Institute of International Affairs, Victoria Island, the book reviewer,

Ambassador (Dr) Patrick Dele Cole, himself a renowned historian and intellectual, made brief comments on the issue of “abandoned property”, always a touchy subject. As a matter of fact, the issue of abandoned property especially in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, occurs only in one short paragraph of six and a half lines at page 291 in a 324 page book. But it was as if all hell had broken loose. A number of people, those whose families lost their houses in Port Harcourt, were furious at the Ambassador dismissive stance on the issue. Some took to the mic to respond to him while many others left the NIIA hall fuming or just grumbling. Others thought the Ambassador had not really read through the book. But what an uproar the little tongue can cause!

Now as one who edited the book, I

felt bemused by it all, not because the issue of abandoned property was not important, but because many of those persons furious with the Ambassador had not read the book either and, sadly indeed, may never read it at all. In that sense, the discussion on “abandoned property” had become a distraction from the essence of the work given to us by Dr. Titus Okereke. And this is why I thought the record must be set straight at least from my own view point. The heart of Dr. Okereke’s fascinating biographical narrative ends with his return to civilian life and his journey back to the West. The narrative does not include his critique of post-war Nigeria. It is essentially a simple story, on “how we were”, that is, in some not too distant past, a story told without guile and without bitterness. Yes, it was a time an Hausa man could be elected twice as mayor of Enugu, an Igbo man as mayor of Port Harcourt, an Igbo man as party leader in the West Regional parliament in Ibadan and a Yoruba man could give his son to an Igbo teacher to live with him in the heart of Delta because he loved the way the Igbo teacher was bringing up his own children. Where did things go wrong? True, Nigeria was never an Eden, yet Our Father’s Land by Dr Titus Okereke gives us an exhilarating glimpse of what would have been.

Race for 2016 The Nigeria Prize for Lit begins

•Prof Izevbaye (third left) receiving the entries from Prof Banjo (third right), with them are the members of panel of judges and advisory board at the handover ceremony in Lagos Affairs Manager, Mr. Tony Okonedo, said his company has been vindicated in instituting the 12 years old prize to add a measure of excellence to Nigerian life.

“Over the last 12 years, we’ve made no mistake in awarding the prize on the basis of excellence, as excellence and integrity have been the

watchword for the prize. With the 173 entries received, we have a robust and thorough competition.” He said.

Okonedo commended the Advisory Board for its steadfastness and support, adding, “The board has been a rock of support for the prize.”

He also praised the panel of judges for being men and

woman of integrity, honour and excellence for helping to extend the frontiers of the written word.

Emeritus Professor Banjo commended the commitment of Nigeria’s foremost gas company, NLNG, to the prize and for blazing the trail that other companies have followed in instituting prizes for literature in country. He reemphasised the guiding principles of the prize to be excellence, which he said would not be compromised.

The Emeritus Professor pointed out that except for one or two years – 2009 and 2015 – when the prize was not awarded, because of poor entries, the prize has had worthy winners.

Banjo still unhappy with last year ’s no-winner verdict on children’s literature category, said, “Children’s literature appears to be the weakest link.”

Everglad’s Jesu joba hits airspace

By PRISCA SAM-DURU MUSIC

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pcoming gospel music artiste, Dr N k i r u k a Ferdinand-Mbah a.k.a, EverGlad’s singles are already hitting the music air space with soul enriching tunes.

The PHD holder from the prestigious University of Lagos, who is currently working towards the release of her début album, already has three great singles; Jesu Joba which was launched on the internet on the 23rd of January, Chinecherem ( high life), and Obi Uto

exciting gospel music lovers.

The music videos of the three singles have also been shot and are being downloaded from You Tube.

Explaining why she abandoned philosophy for music, the writer and composer who sings in major Nigerian languages said “ All my life I’ve been singing. I discovered while studying Philosophy that arts and creativity are fused in Philosophy, that’s why its easy for me. I’ve been into music professionally for 2 years now and I’ve been working on an album and have 16 tracks already. I do hip hop, R & B, Afro , Highlife, inspirational and pure gospel but all are gospel songs.

•Nkiruka Ferdinand-Mbah “I sing because I know how far I’ve gone with God. I have passed through conditions that I would have died but I was revived singing. So many of my works reflect all those experiences. Also, I use music to inspire people, advise and address issues bothering the country.”

46—SUNDAY Vanguard, MAY 15, 2016

Usain Bolt blasts •Says I can’t play under Van Gaal

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LYMPIC sprint champion and the world’s fastest man, Usain Bolt, has always dreamed of playing for Manchester United but he would only do so if manager Louis van Gaal departed the club.

Van Gaal faces an uncertain future at Old Trafford, with United fifth in the Premier League heading into the final game of the season and reliant on a Manchester City slip-up to secure a Champions League return.

The Dutchman’s stock at United has dropped so low that even life-long fan and Jamaican athletics star Bolt a six-time Olympic gold medallist - would pass on his dream amid the team’s stagnant style of play.

“I supported Manchester United for years,” Bolt said as he gears up for the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, starting in August.

“I would still love to play for them, but if Louis Van Gaal is the coach, not so much.”

Bolt’s comments come a week after he told TV2 Norway: “It has been up and down. I wouldn’t say I’m happy. I think a lot of players don’t want to come to the team under Van Gaal. I think players don’t want to play for him.

“He plays a different style of football which Manchester United doesn’t really play. We are more of an attacking team and he likes to pass the ball.

I’m not saying he’s not a good coach but, personally, I just think he’s not right for Manchester United.”

NAMBRA State Chief Judge, Hon Justice Peter Umeadi at the weekend kicked off the Arthur Obi Okafor (SAN) Soccer Tournament for all the eight branches of Nigeria Bar Association, NBA in the State.

The eight branches competing for the trophy, included Awka, Onitsha, Nnewi, Aguata, Ihiala, Idemili, Anaocha and Otuocha.

Europa League?

Continued from B/P requiring a point from their trip to Newcastle in order to finish above the Gunners for the first time since 1995.

Meanwhile, West Ham can guarantee Europa League football with victory over Stoke at the Britannia Stadium, and while Champions League football is C M Y K

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FTER three years at the helm, Pep Guardiola said goodbye to the Allianz Arena a place that had come to appreciate his bullish and attacking style of play.

Bayern won this season’s Bundesliga only recently but the celebrations on the final game of the league season, which they won 3-1 over Hannover, weren’t solely about cherishing a 26th league title.

As the beer flowed - and it flowed - Bayern’s players surrounded Guardiola and bounced as one. Yet that wasn’t good enough for David Alaba,

Douglas Costa and imperious goalkeeper Manuel Neuer.

The party on the pitch looked to have calmed down when the German goalkeeper sprinted around the front of where some of the players were still lifting the championship plate to throw the contents of a Weißbier (three litre beer glass) over Guardiola.

Next up was Alaba. The left back covered the Spanish manager in Paulaner beer as he was having his photo taken with members of Bayern’s staff - possibly the best photobomb in footballing history.

Amapakabo wants Rangers to beat Ikorodu Utd

A Africa U-20: Osimhen fit for Burundi T

HEAD of today’s NPFL match between leaders

•Bolt

HE Nigerian men’s under20 team head coach, Emmanuel Amuneke, has revealed that Victor Osimhen has been cleared to take part in the 2017 Africa Under-20 Cup of Nations qualifier in Burundi.

Osimhen, 17, suffered what appeared to be a shoulder injury during a friendly with the Nigeria under-23s during the week.

Amuneke, who had feared that the striker may have crocked up ahead of the trip to Burundi, has now disclosed that the Wolfsburg man is fit for the second round, first leg qualifying game of the Africa Under-20 Cup of Nations.

“Victor is a strong boy. He is in good condition now to play against Burundi despite our initial fear,” Amuneke said.

•Osimhen The Flying Eagles are scheduled to face their Burundian counterparts in Bujumbura on May 21 while the return fixture will be held in Nigeria on the weekend of June 10-12.

Anambra CJ kicks off NBA soccer fiesta

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Bayern’re German kings

During the opening ceremony which took place at the late Justice Chuba Ikpeazu Stadium, Onitsha, venue of the tournament, the state Chief Judge, Umeadi said the tournament would help to keep the NBA members fit after focusing on litigation matters.

Umeadi commended Arthur Obi Okafor, the sponsor, for donating the trophy and organizing the tournament for still mathematically possible, it would require a scarcely plausible 15-goal swing in their favour.

European football under the lights of the Olympic Stadium would represent a hugely successful season for Slaven Bilic’s side nonetheless, with the club openly admitting that preserving their top-flight status was the priority at the start of the campaign.

lawyers in the state, adding, “we in the judicial sector will always assist him in this soccer fitness whenever the need arises”.

Enugu Rangers and bottom side Ikorodu united, Coach of the Flying Antelopes, Imama Amapakabo is hoping the team bounces back from the three-match winless streak.

Rangers remain top of the league after 17 rounds of matches but Amapakabo said he is not impressed from how much points the team have managed to secure.

The coach analyzed his points objective for the current campaign and having picked a single point from the available nine, he has tasked his players to respond with a return to wining ways at the Nnamdi Azikwe Stadium this afternoon.

Lagos Secondary Schools Handball competition begins

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HAIRPERSON of the Lagos State Handball Association, Adeola Opeyifa has disclosed that 42 male schools and 38 female schools will be taking part in the 2016 Lagos State Secondary Schools Handball Competition. The event begins tomorrow through May 21 at the Rowe Park Sports Centre, Yaba..

Sponsor of the annual competition, Comrade Kayode Opeyifa promised to expand its scope to a national competition in future.

Speaking at a press conference to usher in this year ’s edition yesterday in Lagos, Opeyifa said, “ we will work with the Nigeria Handball Federation and see how we can expand this competition to, first become a South West competition and one day into a national competition.”

Enyimba

•Warri Peace Marathon... The Orodje of Okpe HRM Major General Felix Mujakperuo(rtd) giving his blessings to the Warri Peace Marathon. Mr Boderick Bozimo and Tamitare Gym, CEO Joyce Bozimo at the occasion

Continued from B/P the Peoples Eleph The midfielder volleyed the ball home following a poor clearance by a defender.

Daniel Etor made the points safe when he scored his side’ s second of the game on the hour mark.

Paul Aigbogun’s men with the win moved from 12th to the ninth position in the table.

It is the first time they will be in the top half of the table this season.

SUNDAY Vanguard, MAY 15, 2016 — 47

Zenith Bank WBL: First Bank dethrone Dolphins

By Chinwe Okeke

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HE 13 Zenith Bank Women Basketball League ended Friday with fanfare. First Bank, the Elephant Girls dethroned the erstwhile defending champions, Dolphins 71- 60 in a pulsating final that had all the trappings of a great fixture.

The two teams entertained and gave the packed full hall enough to cheer. While Dolphins appeared more entertaining and skilful, the First Bank ladies were more direct and attacking conscious. From the onset, they left no one in doubt as to what their mission was; they needed the trophy and reclaim their place in Nigerian women basketball.

That they achieved with aplomb.

Earlier, the Nigeria Customs team defeated IGP Queens 61-3 in the losers final to win the 3rd place.

The fair play award went to plateau Rocks of Jos that emerged as the best behaved team even as their player, Ene Edem emerged as the highest rebounder of the entire championship.

Former four-times most valuable player award winner, Nkechi Akashili of First Bank, bounced back to reckoning as she emerged she most valuable player of the 2016 edition. Juliet Currency of dethroned Dolphins won the

Like Dalung like Oshiomhole

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•Power Lee displays his African Heavyweight belt best 3 point shooter award.

The new champions, First Bank dominated the list of the best five players of the

tournament by contributing four out of the five names listed.

Power Lee retains PWA African Pro Wrestling heavyweight title

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IGERIAN heavyweight wrestler, Power Lee De Great successfully defended his PWA African heavyweight title at the Asaba Township Stadium, Asaba in Delta State against Angolan Marvellous Buffalo. .

The wrestling show started with a musical show of the Delta Arts

Special Olympics: L - R;Comfort Oni, Parent of Special Olympics Nigeria(SON) athlete; Jephthat Oni, Special Olympics Nigeria Athlete, Mojisola Saka, Chief Operating Officer, Soulcommunications Limited; Adeola Oladugba, Sports Director, SON; Yvonne Okoye, Programmes Director, SON at the Special Olympics Nigeria 2016 World Malaria day celebration in Lagos. PHOTO;AKEEM SALAU

Council Asaba, followed by the Abame wrestling dance of Igbide and the Isoko Choral Group, which came all the way from Isoko land to added glamour to the wrestling show. There were some interesting supporting bouts one of which featured Mighty Man defeating USA Bing of Congo Kinshasha while Mr. Sharpman lost to Wolf NDA 98.

The main bout between Power Lee and Marvellous Buffalo was preceded by a drama as Michel Noudem, the man Power Lee defeated in Yaounde, Cameroon to claim the belt seized the microphone and threw an open challenge to whoever wins the fight on the night. Power Lee shoved him aside, grabbed the microphone from him, saying that he had dealt with him before in Yaounde, Cameroon and saw no reason for coming to Nigeria again.

The title defense fight between Power Lee and Buffalo was great as both wrestlers were equal to the task. But the Nigerian wrestler was smarter as within a twinkle of an eye, he slammed Buffalo twice before going for the pin fall and it was over as Power Lee successfully defended his much awaited and much postponed PWA African Pro Wrestling Heavyweight Title.

Rio 2016 Olympics: First winner of NOC/Chisco Transport Raffle Draw emerges

By Solomon Nwoke

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HE first winner of the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) /Chisco Transport company raffle draw project to raise funds in support of Team Nigeria to the 2016 Rio Olympic Games emerged Wednesday in Lagos.

The draw which was won by one Felix with ticket number 43590, was the first of a planned three part series to produce 10 lucky winners that will watch the Olympic Games was conducted by the Chief Executive Officer C M Y K

(CEO) of Chisco group, Chief Chidi Anyaegbu MFR. The second and the final of the draws will hold in Kaduna and Owerri respectively in July, before the Games in August in Rio, Brazil. The 10 lucky winners will go to Brazil to watch the Games at all expense-paid trip from the procurement of passports, visas, airfare, hotel accommodation, feeding, courtesy of Chisco group.

Speaking at the draw, Chief Anyaegbu expressed his happiness in impacting on the youths saying, the group’s involvement in the raffle was a way

of giving back to the society as a social responsibility.

“I am indeed honoured and pleased to be a part of this event, with the aim to promote and foster sports which is a unifying event globally. Chisco Transport has always identified with sports in this country and is in full support towards its growth in Nigeria and Africa in general.’’ and as such , this year ’s Olympics can’t be an exception.

We’ll always play our own part for the continuous growth and development of sports in this country.

HE Holy Bible tells us that before you remove the log in someone else’s eye, you must first remove the speck in your own eye. And I remember mygrandmotheralsosayingthatifonepointsonefingeratsomeone,therest four are pointing back at him. Put in another way, the pot calling the kettle black.

I am using these clichés to describe the recent jab at the Youth and Sports Minister,BarristerSolomonDalungbytheGovernorofEdoState,Comrade AdamsOshiomhole.GovernorOshiomholehadsaidthatthesportsminister is not showing commitment in the development of grass-root sports in the country.

His annoyance is a result of the minister’s absence at the 2016 Okpekpe 10kmRoadracewhichheldinOkpekpelastweekendafteraninvitationwas extended to him. His words: “Today we don’t have the privilege of hosting the Minister and I think that was a shame. Nigerians in rural areas are the forgotten majority, the minister must not sit in the comfort of an office and sermonise sports. We must live by example, that’s why I came to show that when those young men are running, we elders can run too.”

Ontheaccountoftheminister’sabsencefromtheOkpekperace,afterhe wasinvited,Iagreewiththegovernortotally.Iftheministerwasnotgoingto makeitbecauseofhistightschedules,heshouldhavesentatopmanagement staff like the permanent secretary or a director to represent him.

That is the only fault I see there. The race is an activity under the Athletics FederationofNigeria,AFNwhichwasfullyrepresented.Itnormallywould briefitsparentministry,throughtheFederationofEliteAthletesDepartment, FEAD, of this even at a later date, I presume.

However, Governor Oshiomhole has no moral right to accuse Dalung of notshowingcommitmenttograss-rootssportsdevelopmentwhenheisalso guilty of the same ‘lack of commitment’. For the Governor’s attention, the Okpekpe Road race is not a grass-root sports programme as it does not directlyimpactontheyoungtalentsthataboundinEdostateandNigeriain general.

The Okpekpe Road race, as good and laudable as it is, is an international event aimed at elite athletes who have already made their marks in long distanceracesorclosingtomakingtheirmark.

The beneficiaries are mostly foreigners from Kenya, Ethiopia and other eastAfricancountrieswhodominatelongdistanceracesintheAfricancontinent and the world at large. If Gov Oshiomhole truly wants to make the race a grass-root programme for Edo and Nigerian athletes, he should have introduced one for schools where the raw talents abound. From here, the future stars would be discovered and groomed to challenge the Kenyans and Ethiopians.

ApartfromtheOkpekperoadrace,aninitiativeofChiefMikeItemuagbor, Governor Oshiomhole should tell Edo people which other area of sports he has shown interest in the past eight years. Under him, Edo is no longer numberoneorsecondtohersisterstate,Deltawithwhichtheyalternatedthe position in the past but a distant third or fourth these days.

Thestateathletesstruggletoattendnationalcompetitionsanddon’tattend atallinsomecases,mostlyduetolackoffundstopreparethemfortheevents andparticipationalso.TheSamuelOgbemudiastadiumwhichusedtobea Meccaofsort,forathletesofthestateandotherstatesalike,isaghostofitself as it hardly hosts any sports events these days.

Fromfootballtoathletics,handball,gymnasticsandcyclingwhichEdowas knownfor,thestatelacksathletesinherareaofstrengthasmostofthemhave gonetoseektheproverbialgreenerpasturesinstatesthatsincerelycatersfor theirwelfare.

Even though the northern part of Edo state has similar weather and topography with parts of the north of the country known for long distance races, Edo state is not known for such races and therefore cannot benefit muchfromtheOkpekpeRoadrace.

Kudos must go to Governor Oshimhole for using the Okpekpe Road to put the state on the world map with the race now on the IAAF international calendar as well as using it to showcase the state as a potential tourism destination in the nearest future.

WhatOshiomholeshouldhavedonewastoliaisewiththesportsminister toseehowtheycancollaboratetousetheOkpekpeRoadracetoencourage thepotentialsthecountryhasintheareaoflongdistanceracestochallenge for honours with the Kenyans and the Ethiopians since other countries are now catching up with us in our area of strength, the sprints as well as wrestling, weightlifting and table tennis.

Edo state under Governor Oshiomhole could be said to have been in a coma, sports-wise, for eight years now. He did his best in the area of infrastructuraldevelopmentforwhichhehasreceivedencomiumsfromtop Edo leaders like the revered departed Benin monarch, Oba Erediauwa, UkuAkpolopoloandtwo-timeformerGovernoroftheMidwesternandold BendelState,DrSamuelOgbemudia.

Dr Ogbemudia is definitely not a happy man today, seeing the legacy he laidinsportsbeingdestroyedovertheyearsbysucceedingregimesafterhis over three decades. That is why Oshiomhole should have held back his criticism of Barrister Dalung because both of them are birds of the same featherwhensportsismentioned.Forhimthough,sportsispartofhismany worries but for Dalung, sports and the youths who eat, drink and live sports aretheonlyreasonPresidentMuhammaduBuhariappointedhimaminister.

SUNDAY Vanguard, MAY 15, 2016

Who heads for Europa League?

EPL

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Barca retain La Liga title

HE 2015-16 Barclays Premier League season comes to an end today, with Manchester United’s bid to snatch a Champions League spot from cross-city rivals Manchester City top of the bill.

With Leicester crowned champions and the relegation places filled

by Newcastle, Norwich and Aston Villa, the only significant positions that remain undecided concern the European places.

In the race for the top four, United must beat

Bournemouth and hope City slip up at Swansea, while it is fitting that Claudio Ranieri shall return to former club Chelsea as a Premier

League winner.

Elsewhere, Arsenal must beat Aston Villa at home to have any chance of second spot, with arch rivals Tottenham only Continues on page 46

...who gets what?

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S the English Premier League ends today, those without the incentive of European football after a long, hard season will still want to finish the campaign on a high with an estimated £2million at stake for each position due to the new TV rights

B

ARCELONA retained La Liga on Saturday and claimed the 24th league title in their history with a dominant win over Granada on Saturday.

Luis Suarez scored a hat-trick as Luis Enrique’s side made easy work of their struggling opposition away from home.

Barca needed to win to secure the league title with Real Madrid, one point behind, securing a comfortable victory over Deportivo La Coruna.

•CHAMPIONS:...Bayern Munich captain Philipp Lahm raises the Bundesliga trophy as the rain fell at the Allianz Arena after a comfortable 3-1 win over Hannover

deal, and just two points separating 12thplaced Everton and Bournemouth in 16th.

Should the teams end up the same way they stood in the log at the end of last week’s matches, the following will be their share of the tv rights money.

Leicester £ 24.9m Tottenham £ 23.7m Arsenal £ 22.4m Man City £ 21.2m Man U £ 19.9m West Ham £ 18.7m Southampton £ 17.4m Liverpool £ 16.2m Chelsea £ 14.9m Stoke City £ 13.7m Swansea £ 12.4m Everton £ 11m Watford £ 10m Crystal Palace £ 8.7m West Brom £ 7.5m Bournemouth £ 6.2m Sunderland £ 5m Newcastle £ 3.7m Norwich £ 2.3m Aston Villa £ 1.2m

Bayern’re German kings —p.46

NPFL: Enyimba beat Ifeanyi Ubah N

Professional Football League champions Enyimba beat Oriental neighbours FC Ifeanyi Ubah 2-0 at the Umuahia Township Stadium on Saturday to extend their unbeaten streak to five games.

IGERIA

•Suarez

I can’t play under Van Gaal —Usain Bolt p.46

The win also ensure the Aba giants end a run of two games without a win at home.

Ikechukwu Ibenegbu broke the deadlock in the 17th minute following a period of dominance by Continues on page 46

Oshoala wins English FA Cup with Arsenal Ladies

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FIXTURES NPFL: Abia Warriors Akwa Rangers Kano Lobi MFM FC Plateau Warri Wikki

v v v v v v v v v

Rivers United FC Nasarawa Ikorodu United Heartland Giwa Niger Tornadoes El Kanemi Sunshine Stars Shooting

4pm 4pm 4pm 4pm 4pm 4pm 4pm 4pm 4pm

EPL: Swansea Southampton Arsenal Watford Everton Stoke City Man United West Brom Newcastle Chelsea

v v v v v v v v v v

Man. City Crystal Palace Aston Villa Sunderland Norwich City West Ham Bournemouth Liverpool Tottenham Leicester City

3pm 3pm 3pm 3pm 3pm 3pm 3pm 3pm 3pm 3pm

IGERIA international Asisat Oshoala starred for Arsenal Ladies in their 1-0 win over Chelsea to English Women FA Cup title. Oshoala started the encounter and was a delight to watch against fellow Nigerian born England international Eniola Aluko and came close twice as Danielle Carter ’s brilliant srike handed victory to Pedro Martinez Losa’s ladies at Wembley.

The Super Falcons striker came close in the 43rd and 61st minutes but her efforts were denied before she was replaced in the 88th minute.

The victory saw the Gunners win a record 14th English women FA Cup title.

•Assisat Oshoala (r) rejoices with teammates on receiving the FA Cup trophy.

See solution on page 3

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